Studies On The Influence Of Open Assignments Upon High School Students' Performance

English homework is an essential part of English teaching, a helpful assistant for teachers to check the learning effect and instruct the students to study. The efficient homework design would allow the students to review and consolidate the newly-learned knowledge while cultivating the students'interests, helping them to form good learning habits and efficacious learning strategies. However, due to the influence of traditional exam-oriented education, the homework design does not receive enough attention like teaching design, and even has been neglected by some schools and teachers. This induces the malpractice both in the contents and forms of traditional English homework, hindering the progress of teaching qualities. Based on collecting and researching the related documents and other materials, this essay has made systematical surveys on open assignment through three aspects, namely, design principles, system construction and assessment methods after the analysis of shortcomings in traditional homework and finding the proper theoretical foundation of the design of English open assignment.Under the pressure of exam-oriented education, the major problems existing in the current homework system includes:homework is too utilitarian and mechanical resulting in the overweighed quantity with low quality; the forms and contents are too closed comparing with the classroom teaching; the assessment upon homework is also too simple to inspire the students.The basic theoretical supports of open assignment are theory of multiple intelligences, constructivism and task-based language learning and teaching. The theory of multiple intelligences insists that the view of homework, forms and assessment should be diversified. The theory of constructivism believes that knowledge should be acquired positively and interaction and cooperation are highlighted. The theory of task-based language learning and teaching argues that learners are in a constant statement of active learning in the process of using language, and that the communicative process of participants in the task also equals to the interactive process.The purposes of homework are diversified. Students finish their homework not only for revision and consolidation, but also for the use of language in practice to develop their abilities. Meanwhile, they are also under the training of observation, analysis, creativity and other comprehensive capacities. The design of homework should follow the principle of teaching according to individual personalities; in pursuit of satisfying every student with multi-leveled homework. Besides, homework should also be interesting and creative, inspiring the students to finish the tasks and make full use of students'initiatives. In order to establish the system of open assignment, contents, forms and assessment of homework should be open at first place. The students could be guided out of the classroom to participate in life and the society and conduct researches of life, social and scientific phenomenon through different perspectives. They are able to discover the questions and..draw the conclusions with great interests and improve their capability to raise questions, make analysis and solve the problems. The student-teacher, student-student, and student-parent interactive help the students finish homework. Meanwhile, the choice of homework should reflect the students'personalities. Open assignment requires open system of assessment, while the simple standard should be avoided to make the comments more specific, comprehensive and open.Because of the limitation of the author, there are a number of questions in the research needing consideration. More efforts will be put into the investigation thereafter.