Professor Abandons Grades for Experience Points

[ninjajoeman]

you have a test that day "A test is approaching"
you have the choice to either do it or be sick "fight or run?"
you fail it or you ace it"game over....CONTINUE? YES/NO, or <spoiler=if you did manage to ace the test><youtube=1Io0DLo_G90>

oh and while doing the test you have a unique test taking theme too.

 

[mokes310]

So explain to me how this is any different from how we currently measure aptitude? This just seems like we've rebranded Shine-o-la here...am I wrong?

I think the main difference is that you get rewarded for work done throughout the year as opposed to purely based on exam results. A lot of courses do a similar thing, I need to do assessments throughout the year that all count towards my final grade, I suppose this is a novel way of approaching the idea. It also provides some interesting ideas, for example can anybody get an A if they work hard enough if there are unlimited "quests" or "sidequests"?? And would this be a good or bad thing?

So explain to me how this is any different from how we currently measure aptitude? This just seems like we've rebranded Shine-o-la here...am I wrong?

Because it actually takes into consideration what works in the modern world and attempts to revitalize the interest in school related activities. The reason educational shows with puppets have been around for decades is that you need to grab people's attention by starting from something that they actually care about and/or enjoy. Put on a teacher saying "A is a letter. you have this many letters, and they form words" and the kids will start playing with their shoelaces. Put on a furry monkey singing about how "A is for Avocado" and the kid starts learning letters and words.

...Instead of assigning his students a grade at the end of the course, he instead starts every student at 0 xp and they earn points through completing quests like solo projects and quizzes in addition to grouping up for guild projects and pick up groups. How many points they have at the end of the course determines their actual "grade."...

Ok, seriously, this is NO DIFFERENT than the way it's currently done. We all start each class, every semester with zero points(XP); we then gain points(XP) through various projects/quizzes/exams/etc...; at the end of said semester, those points (XP) are added up for your "grade."

Seriously, this is NO DIFFERENT! Take another look...all we've done here is replace a few words and everyone claims that it's absolutely brilliant. And ark123, you need to rethink that previous post as it clearly makes no sense buddy...

 

[Guy Montag]

This is dumb. Why would he make an experience system when people have been proven to break their backs and do all manner of irrational activity in the name of an achievement system?

Think about it. "Hey, good quiz! Achievement unlocked: 90% on a physics quiz!"

 

[tetron]

That's pretty awesome lol, I think I'd actually get pretty excited about school if I got xp for doin stuff. It'd really promote competition among gamers too. "Hahaha I'm level 7 *****", "Oh fuck no, teach I need some extra quest assignments !"

 

[Xanadu84]

This is pretty clever, for reasons above and beyond appealing to gamer culture. Yes, it is the same thing at its very root, it does the same job as normal grading system, and will give the same evaluation to a student at the end of the class for the same job done. However, by that same token, you could in theory play a game where you and another person take turns picking out numbers between 1 and 9, and the first person to reach exactly 15 wins. Such a game would be functionally IDENTICAL to Tic Tac Toe, (I believe its called Naughts and Crosses elsewhere?). However, it's obvious that how the player perceive the game would be extremely different. Same deal here. An experience point system would give continuous positive feedback, and a sense of accomplishment to the student. It could very well prove to appear more motivating to a student, and therefore encourage better grades. I won't call it genius until it's established to work, but it is a potentially inspired idea.

 

[hey_iknowyou]

Ok, seriously, this is NO DIFFERENT than the way it's currently done. We all start each class, every semester with zero points(XP); we then gain points(XP) through various projects/quizzes/exams/etc...; at the end of said semester, those points (XP) are added up for your "grade."

Seriously, this is NO DIFFERENT! Take another look...all we've done here is replace a few words and everyone claims that it's absolutely brilliant. And ark123, you need to rethink that previous post as it clearly makes no sense buddy...

Not entirely true depending on how it is implemented. My interpretation of it was that there were a large number of additional tasks students could do to further their "xp", as opposed to the set assignments that other institutions use. For example, typically in my course I have two assignents per module, then an exam at the end of the year. With a system like this sure there could be set assignments worth a lot of "xp", but you could also incorporate a lot of voluntary tasks for students to do worth smaller amounts in order to "boost their xp" or whatever. Of course it could be that the lecturer is only offering set assignemts in which case you are right and it's exactly the same as a lot of other courses, still novel though in my opinion.

 

[mokes310]

Ok, seriously, this is NO DIFFERENT than the way it's currently done. We all start each class, every semester with zero points(XP); we then gain points(XP) through various projects/quizzes/exams/etc...; at the end of said semester, those points (XP) are added up for your "grade."

Seriously, this is NO DIFFERENT! Take another look...all we've done here is replace a few words and everyone claims that it's absolutely brilliant. And ark123, you need to rethink that previous post as it clearly makes no sense buddy...

Not entirely true depending on how it is implemented. My interpretation of it was that there were a large number of additional tasks students could do to further their "xp", as opposed to the set assignments that other institutions use. For example, typically in my course I have two assignents per module, then an exam at the end of the year. With a system like this sure there could be set assignments worth a lot of "xp", but you could also incorporate a lot of voluntary tasks for students to do worth smaller amounts in order to "boost their xp" or whatever. Of course it could be that the lecturer is only offering set assignemts in which case you are right and it's exactly the same as a lot of other courses, still novel though in my opinion.

I'm going to have to disagree. In essence, this idea smacks of a paradigmatic shift of perceptions that would allow traditionally unmotivated students the opprotunity to succeed where they would have otherwise failed. No offense intended hey...iknowyou, but I think you need to read over the article again.

 

[duchaked]

what an idea...I like it!

 

[duchaked]

what an idea...I like it!

 

[duchaked]

what an idea...I like it!

 

[Galad]

I wonder if those graduates would want to be paid in gold coins =X

 

[Galad]

I wonder if those graduates would want to be paid in gold coins =X

 

[Galad]

I wonder if those graduates would want to be paid in gold coins =X

 

[ark123]

Seriously, this is NO DIFFERENT! Take another look...all we've done here is replace a few words and everyone claims that it's absolutely brilliant. And ark123, you need to rethink that previous post as it clearly makes no sense buddy...

I don't see why it would make no sense.
Presentation is everything, which is why every major company has a marketing department. This is a way to grab the students attention. Rebranding exists because it works, and it works well.
Think about it like this: in essence, every facebook game can be reduced to an excel spreadsheet. Only if you have an app that says "here's a spreadsheet. Fill out the "artichoke" column with "1"s and come back in 48 hours, and the spreadsheet will say you have an artichoke", you get zero players. If you slap on a graphical interface, you have FarmVille and 83 million players.
Giving experience points instead of just random numbers or letters that relate to nothing else in a student's life is brilliant, because it puts a "graphical interface" layer on top of the random numbers.

Even if you disagree with this, you have to agree with the post I made right after that. If you have a teacher that is actively trying to improve on how teachers grab their students attention, you're better off than having one that just slaps on a random grade and goes home to complain about how he's underpaid and doesn't care about what he does.

 

[ultimateownage]

YAY! Know I get to grind and point farm at school! No more boring than the average lesson.

 

[clankwise]

Interesting well i hope this works and is fun. Going to college in a year hopes it catches on

 

[hey_iknowyou]

I'm going to have to disagree. In essence, this idea smacks of a paradigmatic shift of perceptions that would allow traditionally unmotivated students the opprotunity to succeed where they would have otherwise failed. No offense intended hey...iknowyou, but I think you need to read over the article again.

The article does not really give me any clarity on how exactly the professor is implementing the system. As I have said, if there are a large number of additional tasks that are optional that boost your XP then it is certainly different from standard academic measurements. And I would argue that overall a student would be required to be motivated to succeed as they will have to work continously throughout the year at leveling up or whatever you want to call it (going from a D to a C, etc.).

I like this idea of rewarding the amount of effort a student puts in as opposed to only the quality of work they complete as I think it would lead to a far higher standard of graduates. Take for example, a borderline A level student that is getting good grades simply by coasting through and doing the minimum. Now imagine they were able to build up their grades continously throughout the year and were rewarded for putting in extra hours of work in, I would imaigne the standard of their work would dramatically increase due to the extra effort they are putting in.

Put simply, instead of encouraging students to get good results, the professor would be encouraging the behaviours which lead to good results.

As I already mentioned though, it is possible (well, likely) that this particular example is just a change in wording and that the quality of set assignments are all that he will be rewarding XP for. Still, it just got me thinking about it.

 

[Orcus The Ultimate]

Sheldon? as in Sheldon from the Big Bang Theory?

 

[feather240]

I actually support that. Instead of a bad test holding you down on your grades, you could make up for it with actual growth.

The only problem being those geniuses who break the system- Oh wait...