Studying physics for nonphysics majors at college level is usually a process of learning new problem-solving skills and sometimes seems a frustrating experience. In an attempt to provide students with more learning resources, online homework was required to supplement the instruction. This study reveals the role of the online homework assignments as a predictor in the development of problem-solving skills for students taking introductory physics courses at a small liberal arts college. The results suggest that performance on online homework assignments is a good predictor for student success on assessments measuring problem-solving skills. This correlation can be used for monitoring student progress and for possible intervention when students show signs of lagging behind. Factors such as class size or available tutoring were not investigated in this study.