Understanding how content, within your own class and in other classes, is all connected is an essential key to students really understanding what we've taught and remembering it far beyond the next test.

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For this approach, students make a graphic representation of the relationships between ideas or the steps necessary to solve the problems.  Students organize the problems from the assignment to analyze how the various items are related, what content or processes they have in common, what background knowledge or vocabulary they might need, what resources help, etc.

 

You can assign a certain graphic organizer or allow students to pick their own based on how they understand the content or process.  This is perhaps the deepest of the Homework Buster ideas, and it takes time to build this kind of thinking.  Consider starting by creating a class graphic organizer together, then assigning partially-completed organizers, until students are finally familiar with thinking deeply and can complete one on their own.
 

Take it a step further by having students color-code areas of the graph to indicate where they got problems right or where they struggled.

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Remember, it takes time to develop this kind of thinking.  These questions may be helpful.

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See the full collection of Homework Graphic Organizers here.