Make Your Own Homework: An Alternative Approach to Assignments in a Flipped Calculus Class

This paper describes an alternative approach to homework, which asked the students to create and solve a problem set. The homework was one of several activities in an Introductory Calculus course taught using the Flipped Classroom method. The homework was meant to replace readings that were usually assigned to prepare students for the next class. Results from the experiment shows that this type of homework had a large impact on increasing students' understanding of the taught material. Students who were given this homework, on average, had a 29.98 grade points increase in posttest scores compared to students who were given the regular reading assignments. This increase can be attributed to students being better prepared for classes. By doing the homework, students were made to review the provided materials and had more problem sets to practice on. Moreover, students' reception of this type of homework was positive.