29 April, 2008
Random Thought
Most instructors organize their syllabus so that the class is worth XXX points and students submit work to earn points. Suppose instructors instead gave you an initial allocation of XXX points and then deducted points based on student (lack of) performance. Would this induce a different attitude toward course work and a different behavioral response from students? In other words, is the carrot or the stick a better student motivator?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Michelle Pfeiffer tried that in Dangerous Minds. It appeared to work beautifully! She was able to connect with these kids on a level that she never expected possible. Really moving story. I think the movie proves that this should be tried widely.
Ahhhh. I forgot about Pfeiffer's whole "you start this class with an A" speech.
If the structure you propose is superior in motivating students, this could be an excellent experiment for measuring a teacher's ability to "set context" or perform a "paradigm shift."
Post a Comment