I would really like to see something like this in most units. Perhaps an in-tutorial revision test of some kind.
by Hariadhi
by Hariadhi“Tests are really just measures of how the Education Game is proceeding. Professors test to measure their success at teaching, and students take tests in order to get a good grade. Might these goals be maximized simultaneously? What if I let the students write their own rules for the test-taking game? Allow them to do everything we would normally call cheating?”
“Morally, of course, games can be tricky. Theory predicts that outcomes are often not to the betterment of the group or society. Nevertheless, this case had an interesting result. When the students got carte blanche to set the rules, altruism and cooperation won the day. How unlike a “normal” test where all students are solitary competitors, and teachers guard against any cheating! What my class showed was a very “human” trait: the ability to align what is “good for me” with what is “good for all” within the evolutionary games of our choosing.”
In some ways this is an exercise in semantics. By changing the rules, the assessment is no longer a test. In the end it was more a crowd sourced 1 hour assignment, but a different cohort may have behaved differently.
The questions it raises about student expectations, motivations and engagement are fascinating.
Read the full article for the twist he adds at the end. Much to ponder.
http://www.popsci.com.au/science/why-i-let-my-students-cheat-on-their-game-theory-exam