Help & Requests > Homework Help

The Homework Help section of Help & Requests is rapidly declining.

While browsing through some threads today, compared dates created with the nearest reply + solution dates. As I'm sure some have noticed, the nearest solution reply varies from 1 week/month.

I firmly believe there are people who would use this section more frequently if there was more innovative. I understand school is out for most people which is a dramatic equation in this issue, however, the section is not designated for exclusively homework only. People, such as myself, use it for general knowledge as well.

Basically, what I'm suggesting is we lift the "Request only" - http://www.sythe.org/homework-help/926959-please-only-use-forum-request-help.html - and allow people to make homework helping threads. Assuming they're adamant and intelligent enough.

Personally, with a major in math and econ, i would make a thread in that section offering tutoring and/or math, econ/business help.

I believe this would make the section more active as people would see there are those of us willing to help and use "Homework Help" as an actual tool to learn.

 

Makes sense. Limitations are only really necessary when sections are booming and you want to divvy the threads up.

 

Personally I can see horrible laid out threads providing help and threads providing help for stupid things that will never be posted on, only by the OP to bump them.
Only a few threads will get posted on and other threads will become inactive and the section will die completely.

The sections isn't too active anyway and admittedly I actually never check the section for spam posts or anything, as I've moderated over a year now and I think I've had 2 reports in that section at most.

To be honest I think it would be better to just scrap the homework help and just make Help & Requests the place to put homework question etc.

 

This is why i am making a suggestion.

There is no secret the section is failing, something has to be done to make it more active. I understand your concern help threads dying out and creating more spam. Personally, i don't think this would happen. Despite the lack of people in that section, i believe there are precautions from that happening.

One person could make the thread, offer help, others willing to offer tutoring and general homework help could PM that individual the subject they are most intelligent and comfortable with helping with and the OP could edit them to the thread.

I.e:

"Angelic666's Math and Econ Help!
I will be available to assist with math or econ/business help and any questions.
Edit: Shoop is offering History help too.. Etc, blah blah."

Something similar to that.

In my opinion there is no way to make this section devalued anymore then it already is. There are ways to make this section more useful and active.

As a TA for 2 years, i can personally vouch, students will not ask for help unless it is visibly or verbally offered. If students see there is someone/are people willing to help they will reach out and ask for assistance. Homework Help lacks that.

 

Bump! Still looking for input.

 

It just condenses the whole section in to one or two threads IMO.

 

If you consider it in the perspective that it will only be used for homework only, yes and no.

I don't think everyone is willing to assist others with their homework, nor knows a subject well enough to do so, which still leaves room for questions within other subjects. You also have to consider the section is not only for homework only, questions regarding anything miscellaneous - religion, mythology, fiction, non fiction, etc, belong there.

 

Bump! Still looking for feedback.

 

The threads would help people. However I still remain with the fact it will create spam and it will kill the section even more, limiting it to only a few threads that are actually remotely active.
I can see your plan and it would be great if that's how things worked. But unfortunately, it doesn't work like that. Having been on the forum for so long I've seen things rise and things crumble. This is a crumbler. Before too long the section would be removed/merged into H&R.
I actually think it should be merged now.

 

If that's how you feel, why can't we try it once school starts back up?

As you said, it's a crumbler, anything from here on out will just be potential to save it.

 

We tried this before and it only generated a few spammy threads with users offering their help and then bumping their threads for days on end.

I agree with Shoop. If anything, the section should be merged with its parent. Thanks for the suggestion regardless