The problem with homework is the proportion of busywork assigned. A typical math textbook consists of several columns of fifty nearly identical problems, of wh

The problem with homework is the proportion of busywork assigned. A typical math textbook consists of several columns of fifty nearly identical problems, of which the teacher typically assigns thirty. I don't need to solve thirty quadratic equations by factoring in order to demonstrate that I know how to solve quadratic equations by factoring. The first three or four will suffice. And don't get me started on the astonishing number of assignments consisting of crosswords, word searches, paint-by-numbers, and similar activities with zero academic value.