A Sense of Doubt blog post #3068 - ELECTRUM - Using Fake Money to buy "Privileges" in College Classes

A Sense of Doubt blog post #3068 - ELECTRUM - Using Fake Money to buy "Privileges" in College Classes

Last year, I created a system in which students earn "fake money" by completing assignments on time and successfully. They can then spend this "fake money" (and I am using "electrum" for this money) for extensions, make ups, and some other privileges. They can save their money and buy off a final essay so that they do not have to do it.

My students have embraced it favorably, as far as I know.

It's funny because I teach English 101 with a system called Labor Based Grading that gets rid of grades and thus points. I make a spiel about how education should be focused on learning not how to earn the most points, as if it's a game of every little point or half point matters. And then I invent a system to use the "points" feature in Canvas as "fake money."

But here's the difference. I call the fake money "electrum" after ancient money that is also used in Dungeons and Dragons. The student's electrum total is the "points" value in Canvas. But the electrum are not points and they are not a measurement a grade. However, they are a measure of successful labor and course progress. If a student has a high electrum total, then the student has submitted assignments on time and completed successfully in regards to labor instructions. A high total also means the student has not spent any electrum, which means the student is not falling behind. 

For students with much lower electrum totals, this is not a bad thing necessarily. It may be a measure of poor course progress as students do not earn any electrum for missed assignments or for "incomplete" assignments that do not conform to labor instructions. And yet, students can spend electrum to change incomplete statuses to complete or to make up missed work. A student with a low electrum total may be doing great in the class because that student has spent the money to improve course status.

Of course, I can offer BONUS electrum for outstanding work or early submission. I can also offer a make up or other privileges at a discount if I want. My rules are as strict as I am going to be, but I am not inflexible. The whole point of both Labor Based Grading and my electrum system is to optimize student success. The way these two system integrate I can make all kinds of plans and deals with students to put them on the path of success. Sometimes students need multiple chances to be set on these paths, and so there are multiple ways to be successful in the course. These systems work very well together to facilitate this success.

From what I know, students have enjoyed the "game-like" nature of the electrum, especially those who "get" the reference from experience with Dungeons and Dragons.



Here's my description and rules about electrum below.


Thanks for tuning in.


Electrum Totals - buy Privileges with "fake money"

Hello students!!

Here's the system for ELECTRUM in our course.

WHY ELECTRUM???

Okay, so I am a nerd. And proud of it. At least, since I got married and being nerdy was no longer an impediment to getting married. Plus, nerdy has become cool. Hasn't it? All I know is no one beats me up for being nerdy anymore. ANYWAY.... when I thought of a "cash" system for buying privileges in the class, my mind immediately seized on calling it ELECTRUM. It's not only an ancient currency, but it's kind of an inside joke in Dungeons and Dragons circles. By which I mean that though it is real D&D currency, players often hate it.

WHAT'S ELECTRUM FOR IN OUR COURSE?

Even though earning "fake money" may feel like "earning points" even though I said LBG was anti-points, earning electrum is a way to "earn" privileges and is very much in line with the labor model of labor based grading.

However, so that Canvas will count for me, I am using the "points" feature of the Canvas grade book. So electrum = points, but there are no "points" as are traditionally used in graded courses in this LBG course.

By submitting assignments, you will earn electrum. Sometimes submitting the work BY THE DEADLINE (not during the grace period) will earn you EXTRA electrum. And EXCEPTIONAL work of great quality and/or quantity, exceeding expectations, may earn you extra electrum.

Think of it like EXTRA CREDIT but instead of EXTRA CREDIT that affects your grade, it is extra credit that you can use to buy gimmes (skip assignments and get credit for them), extensions, and make ups.

In this course, we still have EXTRAS, which are ways to do extra work to raise your grade (see the LBG contract for details).

I am going to have some system to CASH IN unused electrum at the end of the quarter to buy an extra, but I am not sure how that works yet, so I will have a placeholder on that concept.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

You start the quarter with almost enough electrum for the gimme. The first week earns double electrum. If you have a good first week (as most students tend to start strong and struggle later if they are going to struggle), then by the end of the first week you will have at least enough for the gimme that I would have given you anyway plus almost enough for one make up or two extensions.

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A GIMME, A MAKE UP, and an EXTENSION?

A GIMME is like a "get out of jail free" card. It allows you to skip an assignment and still earn "complete" on it. You can also use it to convert an incomplete to complete. Gimmes cannot be used on Inquizitive or group assignments. I did not use to allow them to be used for essay steps, but the new version of the contract does not exclude those from gimme use.

I always gave students a single gimme and in some cases a second. No one has ever had three, though the new contract mentions that a third MIGHT be possible. We shall see how it goes.

Typically, the gimme (or gimmes) is applied in the last conference of the quarter.

An EXTENSION is extra time on an assignment. It must be requested via messaging BEFORE the grace period expires. IF the extension is requested AND you have the electrum to "buy" it, you can assume you have it even if my reply and deduction from your electrum comes after the grace period ends. With an extension you buy no more than an extra week to complete the work. I may add rules to buy some more time, but at this point I hope not to need to do that.

A MAKE UP is essentially the same as an extension but something you request and buy after the grace period expires and you missed your chance to ask for an extension. Like an extension, with a make up, you buy an extra week to complete the work from the time you requested the make up. A MAKE UP MUST BE REQUESTED WITHIN A WEEK of the grace period ending. You will never be able to buy extra time to ask for a make up; however, like an extension, you may be able to buy extra time to complete the work, though at this point I hope I don't need to create those rules.

ALSO, you may buy other special features/privileges with your electrum. An IER is an Intensive Essay Review. You can buy IERs with electrum (only one one per essay), and you can also buy an extra conference with electrum. IERs can only be purchased after a revision following the last submitted revision in the essay process.

HOW MUCH DO THESE PRIVILEGES COST?

A GIMME = 24 electrum

a MAKE UP = 16 electrum

an EXTENSION = 8 electrum

IER and/or EXTRA conference = CASCADING: See this page: How To Work Your Essay - Preparing for the Portfolio

PURCHASING these privileges will not be deducted from your total until you deliver the work rather than at the time of the request. That way, if you request but fail to deliver you have not lost the electrum.

CAVEAT: The instructor reserves the right to offer students discounts on these charges in the face of various dire circumstances the students may be facing. ALSO, the instructor reserves the right to raise costs or negotiate higher penalties on cost (like charging interest) for students who have been severely negligent.

HOW DO I EARN ELECTRUM?

You earn electrum by completing course work.  

You earn electrum by completing course work. The POINT VALUES of all assignments calculate a student's electrum. As there are no grades in this class, there are no points as in a traditional graded class. Points = electrum.

Submitting anything AND earning complete = 2 ELECTRUM

EXTRA!! At the discretion of the instructor/dungeon-master, some assignments or submitted items are worth more then 2 electrum (electrum pieces = ep).

STARTING ELECTRUM = 20

FIRST WEEK IS DOUBLE = Classes, Assignments and Essay steps (includes BPO) = 4 electrum in week one.

EARLY AND ON TIME BONUS!! Any submissions submitted early or on time MAY earn bonus of either +1 or double.

BONUS!! You may earn BONUS ELECTRUM for on time submissions (sometimes; not always; at the whim of the dungeon master) and/or for exceptional work in quality and/or quantity (also sometimes and usually, though maybe not always).

FAQ: What if I submit work and even on time but earn an incomplete? I will handle these on case-by-case basis, at least for now, as this is the first quarter of using the system. In some cases, I may give partial electrum. However, I am not too interested in 0.5 electrum. So let's wait and see what happens.

OBVIOUSLY, MISSED WORK DOES NOT earn electrum just like in a graded class in which missed work earns 0 points or an F grade. It's not there. Nothing to assess. No electrum.

FAQ: If I buy an extension or a make up, will I still earn electrum when I deliver the work for which I bought extra time or the chance to make it up? Yes. It would be unfair to withhold electrum even if the work is delivered late. I will deduct the electrum and give it back, but it may be one whole transaction. For instance, a make up of an assignment costs 16 electrum and an assignment earns two electrum, so essentially a make up of it costs 14. The grade book note will read "Make up of assignment four bought with 16 electrum - 2 earned with delivery of assignment four = net electrum deducted = 14."

FAQ: If I submit an assignment late, will it earn less electrum than if it is submitted on time? No. There is no late penalty electrum reduction. All work that earns a complete earns the maximum electrum and in some cases bonus electrum.

FAQ: I went to tutoring, do I earn electrum for this? Yes. I award 2-4 ep for tutoring appointments, even those required to convert incompletes to complete. By strictest policy, this is a one-time award; however, in the spirit of leniency and generosity, maybe this is an award that can be earned more than once.

FAQ: Why don't I earn electrum for each completed journal entry? Good question. Why indeed? Too much figuring. Weekly journal entries are not Canvas assignments. Canvas assignments earn students electrum. However, journals peeks earn electrum. Maybe these should be set at point values to represent weeks gone by. That's a change for next edition... :-)

HOW DO I "SPEND" THE ELECTRUM?

Communication!!

By informing me in a message.

You must be very specific in requests. I need to know what assignments you intend to gain extra time by buying extensions or that you plan to make up by buying that privilege.

The request is placed in the assignment or in a reply. The electrum is subtracted when the assignment is delivered or the thing (an IER) happens.

POINTS TRACK YOUR ELECTRUM

Points track electrum. As I "assess" things, you earn electrum in "points."

I do get behind on "assessment" (also, known as "grading") and I will add electrum to your total when I assess. It will be your responsibility to watch for oversights and errors.

NOT GRADES: ELECTRUM has nothing to do with grades. Electrum as points is not actual points toward grading. It's fake money for privileges. A student could end up with ZERO "points" (electrum) and earn an A as a final grades.

I GET TO CHANGE THESE RULES!

This is the first quarter that I am using the electrum system, and it's going to be buggy. I am likely to live with major bugs if I think making a change will be grossly unfair. I used to inflate grades HORRIBLY with extra credit. However, I expect to run into all kinds of issues. I will communicate these issues with you, and I am open to suggestions for equitable and fair fixes if needed.

QUESTIONS? Use the questions forum!!

The dogs are waiting for you to visit and scratch their ears and ask me questions.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrum

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- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 2307.13 - 10:10

- Days ago = 2932 days ago

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