How do we encourage people asking for help, but not do the homework for them?

Question

Yahoo Answers is great. But it's obvious people simply post their homework problems here. So, I guess I have several questions regarding the helping responsibility (Note: I'm a math major myself).

1) How do we help people with problems in areas like trig and algebra, while guiding them to the correct resources for later information?
2) How do we help people in more advance courses with very specific problems in fields? Obviously this becomes an ethical issue. The web has some good advance math resources, but not always for specific types of problems. I believe we should be able to help people some way, but we need to be able to help in a way for both the person to learn, and not overstep the boundaries of the student's responsibility.

Any general comments or discussion on this issue would be appreciated!

Thanks, everyone. I especially applaud nobody2000's response. There are definitely two levels of questions asked here. I most definitely agree with most opinions on guiding people through problems or similar problems (I prefer the latter). nobody2000's response definitely gave potential solutions to the "Here's the answer" [no explanation] issue.

I definitely think every attempt should be made to help people. We just need to use the right ways to do so. And most of the time, it seems as though a reasonable person posts a good explanation or another example.

I guess I'll clarify my point a bit regarding ethical issues: there are obvious posts regarding abstract concepts (algebra, analysis, etc.). I love discussions of unique problems. I know the way people ask problems tend to show if it's from a text/prof. I know if people have a desire to purely cheat (just not looking for advice/approaches), will. I guess I just wanted to get some ideas from users about issue.

Thanks.

Answer 1

1.) Yahoo could make it a policy to allow for questions to be shut down if people are blatantly looking for an answer. (not likely).
2.) People could be encouraged to give nudges, but not answers. For instance, if someone says "Factor x^2+2x+1" We can say "remember it's form, remember it's the opposite of foiling...think...you're gonna get something in parentheses" Rather than "oh, it's (x+1)(x+1) now give me my 10 points."
3.) Yahoo could make 2 categories: Homework help, and homework answers. In answers, a question costs DOUBLE (or triple or as much as 10x the normal question). That way, people will ask only a few answers, but ask most often in the help section.
Additionally, answerers in the "homework answers" section only get 2 points for a best answer, while they get the full 10 in the homework help section.


What do you think?

Answer 2

I agree with you.
The best solution is not to answer the questions in such a way that it does their homework for them.
I know it can be a bit rude,but sometimes I answer the math questions with silly responses, such as "If man A is driving x miles at x time, and man B is is driving y miles and y times, when will they meet?" And I respond with silly things, like, who says man A is in the same town as man B? Why are they supposed to meet? Is there a deal that needs to go down? What town are they driving in that has no stoplights? Where are those roads?
I answer silly just for fun, but a really good explanation, I mean a really good explanation, would have been helpful for my math class. My teacher made word problems look so simple, and I still messed them up, and I was getting a solid B in the class! It took me forever and the boredom of hand washing dishes to finally 'get' what some aspects of math were all about - why didn't anyone explain the purpose of factoring polynomials could be more easily visualized with ones, fives, tens, twenties, and so on?? I could factor polynomials, but the why eluded me until twenty years later. So good explanations would have been useful then.
I use this site as a way to pass on my knowledge I have learned. I figure I may be a lame Sunday School teacher in real life, but maybe I can help at least one or two clueless people get a clue and send them a few steps forward in their life.
If it's obvious homework help, especially like writing essays for English comp, no I won't do it, and gently prod the asker to do their own homework, as my answer is their cribbing and is plagarism and is cheating. For math problems, well, a long and boring explanation will turn off the ones looking for the quick answer. (Let me tell you, if you gave me a textbook explanation of an answer to a calculus problem, I certainly would never read the whole thing and ever ask again!)
Good teachers, however, will be able to figure out how to walk the fine line between doing their homework and teaching them how to do it. It's a skill that will come out as those who get rated 'best-answer' most often for these types of questions keep with it.
I think the problem will hit a peak, and then fade as people stop answering lame questions and obvious homework help, or return with snappy, stupid replies more often than answering the question. This too, will pass.

Answer 3

I was thinking about doing a similar problem like the one they are asking. But if you don't give the people asking for help what they want, they will most likely give you thumbs down or give points to the people who blatantly does the work for them. While the others who are actually trying to help get the short end of the stick.

I explained a question step by step. and I am a very motivating/enthusiastic person. But I seemed to have came across as being condescending... weird.


edit:

Even if you answer their questions, they are the ones still taking a test or final exam. And that is something us yahoo math guru's can't help them with. So at the end of the day, even if they cheat, and try to get answers from this site, the final exam will determine if they learned anything or not.

Answer 4

Going to Yahoo! Answers is no different than asking a parent, when it comes to a child doing homework. Either the child is motivated to do the work himself, or he's not and looks for someone else's efforts.

1) Trig and algebra are the most straightforward of the maths. Any help we could give will be nothing more than a rehash of what these kids were supposed to have been paying attention to in class.

2) What ethical issues? This forum serves as a jump station to guide the advanced learner to sources for answers. No one can put "because I read it on Yahoo" as the supporting reason behind why he came up with a particular answer. He will have to do research using the links provided by us answerers to "prove" why his answer is what it is.

Answer 5

I think we are not just seeing homework problems. As more colleges offer distance ed (especially in the remedial maths), some students are being given the opportunity to take on-line tests. That means they can post those questions to us while keeping their timed test up and running.

I've taken the whole calc sequence through distance ed and never once dreamed of cheating. Now that I have found Yahoo Answers I have the haunting suspicion that the "need help fast" postings are tests in progress.

We (may I include myself?) usually can tell which people are genuinely asking for math help. I'm definitely guilty of offering complete help on those problems I can answer. I wonder if the added details I like to include ever even get read? Those are meant to be instructive.

Answer 6

This same question is asked numerous times here and in the Homework Help section. Here's my own personal opinion.

We have no way of knowing the questioner's purpose. Even if it is completely obvious that it's just homework problems, and that the person is just wanting answers, we don't know that as 100% fact. For that reason, I believe that we should just answer their questions in the most explanatory way and hope for the best.

I answer questions here, even if they look like a list of homework problems, because I love math. Why should I question the questioner's motives? That's not what I'm here for. I'm not here to worry about whether or not I'm "hurting" the kid in the long run. I'm here to answer math questions. So, that's what I do.

Besides, eventually, the child will learn that simply getting homework answers isn't going to cut it. Maybe they won't learn it when they fail the first, second, or third tests; but they will eventually get it.

Answer 7

I understand your concern, but as a student I think it really is all up to the student to take in whatever he or she wishes. A good thing about yahoo answers is that there is a wide range of answers to a question. And you see in the simple algebra questions listed that some answerers show the steps to the answer. The student can learn from these steps, and learn how to apply such concepts to similar problems. But if the student just wishes to get the numerical answer, then all he will receive a numerical answer.

Answer 8

assisting with understanding is large, because of the fact the student will learn the concern remember. If the student effective factors a greater understanding of the character of the question or the duty or the fabric, then gaining awareness of is more suitable. purely offering the answer to an task is immoral. the student is cheating because of the fact the student did not do the paintings himself, and the guy who helped the student cheat (by utilising giving the respond) is purely as to blame. the student might get a good grade however the student is unquestionably not taught the fabric and is unquestionably not waiting to do nicely later on a attempt or on something that demands mastery of the concern.

Answer 9

When I first joined Yahoo Answers, I was really interested in getting some challenging math questions to stimulate my own mind. I still feel that way. These days I'm only interested in questions that I enjoy doing.

Not to sound selfish, I don't really care about what the student's intention is. If I don't do their question, someone else will. Maybe even a private tutor. But bluffing your way through life has become an art form, and we are not going to change that.

When students post a barrage of questions, I just don't answer. Or maybe I'll answer one of them. But I'm interested in questions that I enjoy. My world revolves around me.

Answer 10

I am a student myself and have posted math questions on here before. although i realize that some students just cheat and get answers, i actually try to work out the problems as far as i can. i understand why those of you who answer these questions are reluctant to do so...however, like i said, not all of us are here to just get answers. i genuinely want to learn how to solve my homework problems. often i just want to see that someone got the same answers i came up with. i guess my main point is, if you're a math major or genius, please don't stop helping those of us who genuinely work out the problem ahead of time. to avoid feeling like you are just giving answers, maybe you could ask the poster to show what they have tried already.