Nobody really likes homework, right? Pupils have certainly had enough after a long day’s work and pray each day that the dreaded word is not mentioned at the end of class. But often it is, and the teacher feels like the enemy once again: the spoilsport. Yet what many pupils fail to consider, the teacher would prefer not to give it too, because when he/she sets the homework assignment, the teacher knows what’s coming back as a result of the task: work to be marked, hence even more work to be added to the never-ending task list. Yet, what if that dreaded word for teachers: "marking" were to be taken care of in an instant, without the take-home workload and stress? Well, anything’s possible.

With KeyStagetwo.com that’s exactly possible. As companies and organizations look to adopt more ICT and new media to make their work performance more time and cost efficient, whilst cutting down on paperwork, so too should schools; and this is their opportunity The teacher can set the homework electronically and, when the pupils complete the task, an automated system will mark the work and store the data for any follow-up work or further analysis. The inevitable consequence of such assistance is a welcome lightening of the teacher’s workload: thus reducing stress levels and increasing his/her time, which in turn can be dedicated to teaching, planning, reviewing pupil performance, or other such pertinent tasks. Although a certain degree of classroom administration and paperwork may be unavoidable, the marking of homework does not have to be part of this.

This system can also contribute as a great organising tool for the teacher, in the sense that he/she can check through the history of tasks assigned and completed. The teacher can identify exactly which tasks were set, when they were assigned, and each child’s grades for each one – all at the click of a mouse button. Once again, this saves teacher time: no more trawling through old files, flicking through homework diaries for marks and dates; it’ll all be present and accessible at any point for the teacher to access. In addition, the system will assist the teacher with the analysis of results by offering specific performance feedback and indicators, thus helping to further frame and direct schemes of work and individual action plans.

Of course, vital to any child’s effective school performance is a sense of communication and collaboration with the parents, and this system provides an environment in which this is possible, too. Any parents who subscribe from home will be able to track their child’s progress and see the results of various class-based and homework assignments. This is of course extremely beneficial for the supportive, hands-on parent, but also brings with it significant benefits for the teacher. The shared-accessibility element of the system augments the sense of collaboration between teacher and parent, and hence any individual issues can be discussed and resolved between both parties at any stage. With this system the results are evident: the lines of communication are open, and in a spirit of collaboration and progress, all parties involved can reach a reasonable resolution to any issues that may arise.

With this interactive learning environment in place, homework need never be a laborious task again, for neither pupil nor teacher.