Who Invented Homework and Why? Top Facts You Should Know

Homework is today an integral part of the educational process; it makes learning easier and more effective. We have been involved with doing tasks since school years. And very less of us were thinking about who invented homework. What is the name of that smart person to believe in a magic of homework; when was homework invented; when was the invention made? What was the initial purpose of homework? Let’s find answer to who invented homework and why in this post and discuss the practical value of at-home task a teacher puts behind it.

Historical Facts

Mentions of the term refer to the era of ancient Rome. In I century AD, Pliny the Younger, the teacher on the oratory who invented homework, asked his followers in Quintilian to participate in at-home activities. The practice was aimed at developing speaking skills of a person in a more informal atmosphere. Results of homework assignments were just impressive; such teaching approach was used by other tutors moving forward. An Italian pedagogic Roberto Nevilis is considered the real inventor of homework. He was the person who created homework in far 1905 and made it a punishment to his lazy students. Since time when was homework invented, this practice has become popular around the world.

The end of the 19th century is notable due to significant changes in the education system. Great developments were associated with some changes in terms how frequently and what kind of homework was given by a tutor. This all affected education quality. Teachers following the approach of the educational reformer who invented the homework considered the fulfillment of homework as a necessary type of training; it was a compulsory part of training. From that point of view, teaching can hardly move forward without home lessons. Homework was defined as one of forms of independent work. Attaching great importance to the ability of the student to learn independently. In order for an at-home task to perform functions set by a tutor, it should meet the following criteria:

• It must be feasible.
• It should not be large and complex.
• It is not to be set at the beginning of training until students learn how to work independently.

When Was Homework Invented?

After the students realize who invented homework and why they would probably understand their homework assignments are not the bane of their existence. Homework is the best way to make sure children understand the studied subject.

Roberto Nevilis, a strict teacher from Italy, started the history of this educational system innovation in 1095 in Venice. Nevilis was disappointed with the performance of his students. Hours spent in school had no positive impact on the knowledge & skills of his children; he decided to invent a way to punish them without involving physical violence, which was against the law.

In the question, “who invented homework and why” the part explaining the reasons is the most important. Formal school system was invented. The need to improve teaching methods became obvious. Wealthy people could afford to pay for education, and their children were not ready to take high responsibilities without a special motivation. Nevilis involved several hours of work after classes to embrace the accurate meaning of his lessons. During the classroom learning, a concentrated assimilation of the studied material takes place. Afterwards, the gained knowledge is forgotten. To prevent this forgetting, homework is needed;

• Mastery of scientific concepts requires their repeated comprehension and assimilation;
• The thoroughness and strength of the material assimilation being studied is achieved only when its memorization is dispersed;

Home learning is important for the development of students' creative talents and abilities.

The success of the teaching depends on the success of homework preparing. This aspect has been considered since time when was homework invented; organization of homework is the most difficult thing in the teaching and educational process. Many aspects of this problem require the closest attention from the tutor.

When elaborating an assignment for children of rich and poor families, teachers should realize that the process of educational material assimilation passes through obligatory stages:

• perception
• comprehension
• fastening
• the formulation of the formation of skills
• application of new knowledge and skills in practice

If you wonder who invented homework and why, read further to know even more.

What Are the Main Purposes of Homework?

There are many experts who believe that the purpose of doing homework is the same as the purpose of schooling which is to enhance the abilities, skills, and knowledge of any particular student. Working on any sort of assign homework assignment won’t just prepare students to deal with any sort of questions related to the topic in question but it will also allow the students to easily grasp the concepts which are more complex and difficult. Homework assignments will also allow students to apply the skills and knowledge which is acquired by the student in his or her daily life beyond the confined space of the classroom. Homework can also be looked on as the opportunity for parents or guardians of the student to actively participate in the education of the student. These homework assignments are also designed in such a way that it helps in reinforcing all the skills and knowledge which students have already acquired. Some of the other common purposes of assigning assignments are

• Preparation
• Practice
• Personal development
• Participation
• Parent-teacher communication
• Parent-child relations
• Policy
• Peer interactions
• Punishment
• Public relations

It is important for the readers to remember that it is not necessary that all these purposes must be fulfilled every single time when a student starts working on the assigned homework assignments.

Based on above points, the value of the academic assignment is in:

• fixing in memory the material disassembled in the classroom;
• repetition of previously passed material;
• consolidation and expansion of various skills necessary for independent work.

Types of Homework

Teachers thought up various types of tasks for students. Of course, much earlier, that person who invented homework didn't have all the modern technologies to create online tests and other things that appeared in current times. In modern school, teachers include the next types of homework for their students:

• Learning the material during reading the textbook.
• Oral exercises for memorizing.
• Written tasks to develop good skills.
• Creative assignments to improve skills (writing various essays, reviews, etc.)
• Writing special reports on a certain subject (coursework, research report, etc.)
• Preparation of various experiments and observations (when studying chemistry and physics).

Of course, the amount of homework given to students should be well-balanced to avoid overloading them with too many tasks.

What’s the Role of Homework in Improving the Education Quality?

One way to ease the learning process is to improve the content and organization of at-home tasks on the subject. The variety of homework variants is vast. Each is aimed at improving the quality of students' knowledge, enhancing studying process, and systemizing acquired knowledge.

Psychologists have found that the assimilation of knowledge and methods of activity is critical. The primary perception and consolidation of knowledge during the lesson with any arbitrarily effective organization of the study process must necessarily be supported by subsequent thinking and applying new knowledge. And if the primary perception and consolidation of knowledge can be frontal, the subsequent work is to be individual and independent.

Homework is not a means of controlling a student. It is an opportunity to devote time to the studied subject. In such a way, you can systematize knowledge gained in the class and sharpen your skills on a particular topic. Without completing at-home tasks, the student deprives himself of additional time in studying. The goal of such an assignment is to consolidate knowledge and practice the skills acquired in the lesson.