Assignment Point Multiplier
I might be a little obsessed with taking lessons from video games and applying them to education. Currently I’m playing Forza Horizon 3, which also happens to be one of the best games I’ve ever played. Naturally, every aspect of the game, I’m looking for educational parallels.
One of those aspects is the bonus multiplier. For every element of difficulty that you allow — more difficult opponents, fewer driving assists, no rewinds, realistic damage — you get a bonus multiplier. For every race or challenge that you complete, you get more money, more XP, and more fans from that multiplier.
What I love about it is that you don’t feel like you’re a wuss for using any of the helps. You get 100% of the points even with all the helps turned on, with the easiest opponents. You can voluntarily make the game more difficult, and you’re rewarded for it.
So what kinds of bonuses could you use in education, and how would they work in a learning platform?
Deadline Bonus
As much as we want students to learn how to meet deadlines in order to be successful in the real world, we don’t want to tell a student that her work is worthless if it’s not turned in on time. Since this is a delicate balance, the deadline bonus could come in handy. It encourages meeting deadlines, but more than that, encourages finishing things. As students get older, the deadline bonus can increase, as students get closer to the real world.
Share Bonus
Teachers first turn this feature on in the assignment settings, then as students submit the assignment, they can turn it on for a bonus, which means that their submission can then be used as an example in the future (regardless of whether it ever is). Some assignments might have it as a requirement, so when the student submits, it’s more of a radio button that they have to select that says, “I understand that my submission may be used by teachers as an example.”
Feedback Bonus
Before submitting the assignment, you can opt in to feedback sessions, where you anonymously provide feedback on others’ assignments, and others provide feedback for you. By participating, and relative to how productive your feedback was deemed by your partner, you get extra points for your assignment.
Remix
After completing the assignment, turn around and create a remix of the assignment, and create a how-to video about it. For example, I showed my students how to blend images in Photoshop
Discussion Bonus
Teachers can turn on the assignment discussion, and students can ask questions or submit preliminary work for the assignment. If a student’s answer gets upvoted, they get bonus points on the assignment.
Challenge Bonus
Many assignments will be given a ‘challenge’ portion, which is to go above and beyond the minimum requirements. Students opt-in to the challenge and teachers know to look out for it when grading.
Practical Application Bonus
If you complete an assignment in a way that you or someone else can actually use, you’re eligible for the practical application bonus. This is not a preference trigger (a preference trigger is something the student can change in global settings, so they’re set by default in assignments, but can be changed). On compatible assignments, the student must check the box upon submission.
Wormhole/Cross-curricular Bonus
Some assignments can touch on multiple subjects by design, or the student can suggest a connection. Sometimes the cross-curricular content is required, sometimes it’s opt-in. Sometimes you can do the assignment for one module, then do the same assignment for another module for double-credit. Usually it’s a simple bonus.
Other Notes
In Forza Horizon, if you start to win every race you play, it prompts you to raise the difficulty. A learning platform built for this would do the same. It doesn’t force you to up the ante, mind you, it just prompts you.
Students who check boxes for bonuses they didn’t actually complete will be suspended from assignment bonuses for a time, pending interview with a teacher.
Originally published at RCLX.
