Can “Smart Homework” Achieve the Goal of Chinese “Double Reduction” Policy to Reduce Burden and Improve Quality?—The Positive and Negative Effects of “Smart Homework” on Students

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Lines 48-50 – When “Smart Homework” is described, it’s a bit unclear whether this is a specific software or if it is a broad type of software. Based on what I read, it seems to me that it is perhaps a government provided specific software? Please clarify this and cite it if possible.

 

Lines 79-84 – the authors mention exploring smart homework through literature review, but then also mention a survey was conducted. The phrasing here initially sounds like this is a literature review-only manuscript, but with the added survey, the literature review seems more supportive of a study rather than a stand-along piece. I would suggest rewording to more accurately reflect this was survey-based research, though you can also include information about how your literature review informed the study.

 

I don’t know that literature well (other than that it exists), but reading this reminds me of adaptive standardized testing, where getting questions correct results in more difficult questions and getting questions wrong results in easier questions. This is done until an ability level/score is found for the person taking the test. It’s based on Item Response Theory and Rasch Analysis. Depending on how you choose to revise, you may want to consider making this connection.

 

This is something that may get fixed in final editing prior to publication, but be aware that Table 5 is not showing up clearly for me. Some of the words are overlapping each other and make some parts difficult to read. The formatting in general looks strange to me as well. Other tables have been fine so far. Please check whether this is due to your table or a system issue.

 

 

Author Response

1. The first comment from Revivier1 is: Is the content accurately described and contextualized with respect to previous and present theoretical background and empirical research (if applicable) on the topic?

Reviewer 1 believes that this aspect of the article needs to be improved. In this revision, the author made modifications to the background section. Reviewer 1 suggests establishing a connection between this article and adaptive standardized testing. Therefore, the author has added several articles on Adaptive learning, adjusted the wording of this paragraph, took the research on adaptive learning as the theoretical background of this study, and proposed the purpose of this study according to this background.

2. The second opinion of Revivier1 is aimed at: Are the research design, questions, hypotheses, and methods clearly stated?

Reviewer 1 believes that the article needs to be improved in this regard. In this revision, the author has removed the phrase 'through quality review' from the original text, clearly stating that the research method used in this article is to analyze survey data.

3. The third opinion of Reivieer1 is: Lines 48-50- "Smart Homework" is a bit unclear, needed to be clarified and cite it. The author has added a sentence defining "smart homework" and applied relevant literature published in authoritative journals.

4. The fourth opinion of Reivieer1 is that it is desired to modify the wording of lines 79 - 84. For this reason, the author has deleted the phrase 'through quality review' from the original text, clearly stating that the research method used in this article is to analyze survey data.

5. The fifth opinion of Reviewer1 is that he hopes to establish the relationship between the literature in lines 79-84 and the "adaptive standardized testing". For this reason, the author added several articles on Adaptive learning, adjusted the wording of this paragraph, took the research on Adaptive learning as the theoretical background of this study, and proposed the purpose of this study according to this background.

6. The sixth opinion of Reivieer1 is that Table 5 in the text is not clear. To this end, the author adjusted the text in the table by abbreviating the variable names and adding explanatory text for abbreviated names at the bottom of the table.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

The title: Can "Smart Homework" Achieve the Goal of Chinese "Double 2 Reduction" Policy to Reduce Burden and Improve Quality?

 

Dear author(s).

This paper is vorty although it adress specific point of the Chinese "Double Reduction" Policy in terms of using artificial intelligence technology as educational tool in the education. However, this paper is also prominent that there can be have some important aspects for the other students of the World. This paper can give an area to discuss using artificial intelligence technology in the education in both positive and negative effects on the learning.

Hypothesis 1was set on as "Smart Homework" can reduce students' homework burden, manifested in allowing them to complete homework in a shorter time and have a lower sense of learning anxiety;

Hypothesis 2 was set on as ” Smart Homework” can reduce the burden of off-campus training for students, manifested in reducing their willingness to participate in off-campus tutoring;

Hypothesis 3 was set on as: "Smart Homework" can help students better complete homework and improve learning efficiency, which is reflected in that students who use "Smart Homework" have a stronger sense of self-efficacy and higher learning commitment

Multivariate regression analysis used with homework completion, learning anxiety, participation in after-school tutoring, self-efficacy and learning engagement as dependent variables supported these Hypotheses.

To the point, it is quiet fluency for the text but I should indicate some points in the paper as follows:

Once, the author(s) stated that "Smart Homework" indeed reduces academic pressure on primary and secondary school students, improves their learning effectiveness, and plays a role in reducing the burden and improving quality. However, they were not stated negative aspects of the "Smart Homework": Whether the "Smart Homework" effects on the students negatively in terms of exploring and self-learning or not?

On the other hand, the "Smart Homework" may also some negative effects in future regarding the students’ learning systems. These possible hazardous improvements should be clarified in the paper because of the author(s) invariable stated only positive aspects of the smart homework. Might there be any negative aspect of the smart homework? For example, whether the students are as a kind of the free-rider in "Smart Homework" system?

Therefore, this paper should include a subtitle regarding the positive and negative effects of the "Smart Homework" systems. In this subtitle, it should be included the learning methods which support self-learning aspect of the students as Problem based Learning and Project Based Learning in terms of supporting students' self-learning and improving thinking skills traits needed in near future world.  Here is the some sources for the author(s) to clarify PBL method to support the paper's objective in especially for alternative way for the students avoiding to be obliged to do smart homework solely.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.7771/1541-5015.1649

DOI: https://doi.org/10.7771/1541-5015.1339

 

Good luck.

The English language in the paper can be assessed as moderate editing for the requirement.

Author Response

1.The first comment of Reviewer 2 is regarding: Is the content accurately described and contextualized with respect to previous and present theoretical background and empirical research (if applicable) on the topic?

In this revision, the author made modifications to the background section. The author added several articles on Adaptive learning, adjusted the wording of this paragraph, took the research on adaptive learning as the theoretical background of this study, and proposed the purpose of this study according to this background.

 

2. The second opinion of Reviewer 2 is regarding: Are all the cited references relevant to the research?. The author added several articles on Adaptive learning, which strengthened the relationship between the cited literature and the research topic.

 

3. The third opinion of Reviewer 2 is aimed at: Are the arguments and discussion of findings inherit, balanced and competing?. The author added a fourth research hypothesis: The use of "Smart Home" may have a certain degree of negative impact And corresponding literature reviews and data analysis have been added, as well as relevant research conclusions. This makes the research conclusion and discussion of the conclusion more convincing.

 

 

4.The fourth opinion of Reviewer 2 is aimed at: Are the conclusions fully supported by the results presented in the article or referenced in secondary quality?

 

The article adds a new hypothesis: The use of "Smart Home" may have a certain degree of negative impact, And the hypothesis was validated through data, and several supporting literature were added to support the conclusion.

5.The fifth opinion article of Reviewer 2 does not explain the negative impact of "smart homework". Therefore, the author added a fourth research hypothesis: The use of "Smart Home" may have a certain degree of negative impact And corresponding data analysis has been added, with a new research conclusion added. The results of data analysis indicate that the negative impact of "smart homework" on students does exist, but is limited to some students.

 

6.The sixth comment of Reviewer 2 is that subtitles need to be added.

The author has added a subtitle for this: The Positive and Negative Effects of "Smart Home" on Students. At the same time, a fourth hypothesis was proposed: The use of "Smart Home" may have a certain degree of negative impact And the title of the second part was changed to "Literature Review", and a new content was added: "The negative impact of the use of intelligent products on students". Use this section as the basis for proposing the fourth hypothesis. In the data analysis section, relevant content has been added, and the fourth hypothesis has been validated with data. This has been discussed in the conclusion section.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 3 Report

The article discusses the application of information technology, specifically the use of "Smart Homework," in supporting the Chinese "Double Reduction" Policy. The policy aims to reduce burden and improve the quality of education in China. By analyzing the mechanism and path of "Smart Homework" in Jiangxi Province, the tool has been found to effectively reduce the burden on primary and secondary school students, improve homework completion, decrease the inclination towards after-school tutoring, enhance self-efficacy and learning investment, and ultimately align with the goals of the "Double Reduction" Policy.

Overall, the article is well-written, presents a valid research methodology, and, the results are well-analysed and 

Author Response

Author's Reply to the Review Report (Reviewer 3)

Due to Reviewer 3's opinion: Overall, the article is well written, presentations a valid research methodology, and, the results are well analyzed.

The author has not made any relevant modifications.

Thank Reviewer very much for the opinions of and his affirmation of the paper.

 

Author Response File: Author Response.docx