Behold! Photomath: an app that solves math problems through your camera phone! It sounds way too good to be true. And it is. Although, MicroBLINK, the company that developed PhotoMath, advertises this app to “make math easy and simple” through step by step problem solving—just like our New Year’s Resolutions—it works better in theory than in reality.
The app doesn’t solve handwritten problems, word problems, geometry or calculus. Also, I had a hard time trying to scan problems and sometimes it would fail to scan anything. Despite this, PhotoMath can be used as an excellent learning tool.
PhotoMath is only one of dozens of apps that can give you homework answers. Slader, a student network for homework collaboration, features step-by-step answers for questions from dozens of textbooks. Another app, Homework Helper, allows students to post their homework questions into forums where people who answer those questions are rewarded e-coins to buy electronics, such as iPhones and laptops.
The use of such apps then leads to the same question: is it cheating?
“It’s not cheating,” Math Teacher Ms. Nancy Bulgin said. “It’s an excellent use of your time if you use homework apps as a resource when you get stuck. But if you use the app to opt out of doing homework, then you’ll never be an ‘A’ student and I’ll be able to tell.”
These apps were created as educational tools, but there will always be those who use it as a ticket to get out of doing their homework. However, the apps aren’t to blame because students who are set on cheating will always find a way to cheat. Besides, since many of these apps are community-based, there’s not much of a difference between using an app for help and asking someone for help on a math problem.
With proper use, I found Slader an excellent resource for help on my math homework. I am constantly frustrated over my homework, and reading through the step-by-step solutions on the app not only helped me understand the homework better, but I also saved class time by not having to ask my teacher to explain the problem.
These apps aren’t about cheating. They’re about utilizing new resources to optimize your educational experience.