Just put a can light there.

For homework you need a good task light, like a desk lamp or an arching floor lamp, anyway. A cp says, get a can light and then add task lighting as required.

change the placement to over the desk, where it is it will cast shadows because the light is behind them. where is the plug for a desk lamp or laptop?

another option is to do a directional light. on a bar of sorts, be sure to add a dimmer.

The directional will also let you high light something on the walls too.

I'd feel like I was being punished -- like being told to go sit in the corner as a kid, if that were my homework area.

3' isn't enough space to do much of anything.

personally, I would have just put a bench there the lifted for more storage. but hey what functions for them is what we help work out.

Mini pendant on ceiling; lamp on desk. :-)

mini pendant on a nine foot ceiling over a workspace that is light from behind? NO, plain NO. especially clear glass with a filament style bulb............

Clearly...we have different ideas at work here on what makes good lighting design...

Function over form in a workspace.. Move the can forward light behind you, just like in a kitchen, shadows in front of you.

You have two needs: 1) Ambient lighting; and 2) Task lighting. That's simple enough. While it's possible to get both with a single fixture, it takes careful fixture selection. It's simpler and easier to achieve better results with two fixtures--one fixture of a proper type for each lighting need, especially for studying. Good luck!