Last week I had the opportunity to discuss gamification with a team of professors at Texas A&M University. As I presented my understanding of this concept, I came to an important realization on the negative impact of grades. I've never really been a fan of grades, even as a child. No matter how systematic we try to make the grades, they will always be arbitrary: what quiz we decide to give, what questions we ask, how we weight homework vs. classwork vs. tests, etc. What is the point ? Do grades accurately measure what we want them to measure? Do they tell the story we want told? I don't believe they do. What are we even measuring? Achievement? Ability? Completion? Aptitude? Perseverance? Compliance? If they aren't accurate measuring tools, why have them? Some might argue grades motivate students. Having taught in Montessori schools where there are no grades, I can say, that the vast majority of students will work for the sake of learning and for the satisfaction o...
Building a better world, student by student, one moment at a time. A place for lifelong learners, struggling students, education reformers, and better-world builders. Follow me on Twitter @VenegasKeller