Final Reflection- The "500"
I would like to present Avi Luxenburg’s, "The 500”, and my entries in it, as the vehicle that has supported my greater awareness, learning, and integration of a number of learning outcomes. Please see the screen shot below or click on the link (Avi Luxenburg's, "The 500").
Addressed Learning Outcomes
- Plan learning opportunities most suitable to the strengths and challenges of a variety of environments
- Develop and design intentional learning activities suitable for the appropriate environment and the learner
To me, the “500” is a superb example of a tool to support greater engagement, creating community and encouraging participants to investigate and integrate course concepts at deeper levels. For me it has been an essential component of OLTD504. Participants claim points when they make posts in a variety of environments such as the Google + community or twitter. They may also claim points when they help another participant or “step up” in a manner that exceeds the normal expectations for participants. The “500” helps to engage participants on a number of levels.
- Gamification type competitiveness to aim for high scores, public display of scores achieved and receiving “Badges.”
- Promoting engagement in the OLTD Learning Circle by achieving greater “500” scores and receiving a higher participation mark for the course.
- Using the perceived value that contributions to charity gives, to encourage greater engagement with the course, OLTD Learning circle and the “500”.
- Supports the shift from individual accomplishment to include a community perspective and accomplishment.
- Individual motivation to achieve one of the three high scores in the “500” to guide which charity will receive contributions. This could also motivate participants to further encourage other participants to contribute to the course to achieve higher “500” scores in order to have higher contribution amounts going to charity. This is one area that I think may have been “beefed up” on a conscious level.
The concept of the “500” initially provides extrinsic motivation through the concept that learners achieving 500 points will receive one hundred percent of their participation mark (twenty-five percent of the final grade). I believe the intent is that participation will become more habitual and help the participants to develop greater intrinsic motivation to engage, create community and take greater charge of their own learning. The public displays of higher scores and “Badge” component can attract people who are competitive or externally referenced while internally referenced people will be motivated by simply filling out the “500” and noting the high score they have achieved.
Another component of the “500” is that if the group collectively reached certain levels there would be donations made to charity. The choice of charity would be decided by the top three point contributors. People motivated through the concept of “assumed value” will be more motivated to add to their “500” and also encourage others to do the same in order to reach higher levels of donation to charity. This of course contributes to others not as fortunate.
The structure of the “500” can be shifted to accommodate different types and ages of learners, cultures, environments and subjects. The “500” concept can be linked to a variety of activities and it need not only be linked to participation.
Moving Forward
I recently taught a four day skills based course where I integrated and built on the concepts of the “500”. In skills based training one of the challenges is to support participants to make a shift from focusing on mistakes they have made, to a more efficient focus on “What Went Well” and what would be “Even Better If…” Students were encouraged to make note of “What Went Well” for them and others throughout, both their day, and their practicing the skills. They were also encouraged to notice and make note of how other participants helped fellow participants and supported the group as a whole. Students were encouraged to note these observations on index cards that were collected. Each card was given a value of one point. Throughout the four day course the observations, points and cards were linked to additional specific skills the students were learning. The points were visually noted on a thermometer type scale. Throughout the training participants received prizes linked to the comments on the cards. This exercise was promoted and carried out with a high degree of fun, humour and modeling. Below is a list of various awards.
- Most cards filled out in a day
- Especially thoughtful comments
- Most inspired contribution
- Randomly selected cards- award to author and whom the post was about
- Total of 200 cards- twenty-five dollar donation to charity
- Total of 400 cards- Fifty dollar donation to charity
Throughout
the four days participant’s comments became more insightful and more focused on
skill improvement. Two students committed to match the Twenty-Five dollar
donation (if achieved) and one student committed to match the Fifty dollar
level (if achieved). Over the course of the four days students wrote over two
hundred cards and there was a significant and deliberate shift in their
language and focus from “mistakes” and “what I did wrong” to “What Went Well”
and what would be “Even Better If”. The students reported a strong feeling of community and cohesion as a group working together to the common goal of becoming expert in their developed skills. I intend to continue to build on and expand
the concept of the “500” to support participants in courses to learn,
integrate, engage, have fun and build community at accelerated rates.