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                                                                                                                                                 Ipsative Loop           Result 1           Ipsative Loop




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                                                                                                                                            1                Feedback                   2                Feedback         e Result
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          speed and reps are what power                                                                                          Curious is by far the best way for   just feels good to be good - to beat
          human attractions to Tetris, golf,                                                                                     humans to memorize key/common      the challenge.
          and knitting. Luckily, I had already                                                                                   terms and things like math facts.
          adopted a mindset of speed and                                                                                         And they love playing it.          I quickly realized that by not giving
          reps in my class pedagogy, so I                                                                                                                           students immediate feedback, we
          was able to see the beauty of The                                                                                      Here’s why kids aren’t gaining     were actually disenfranchising them
          Forgetting Curve immediately. (To                                                                                      these skill in the normal “turn in   from the game of school. No score,
          help shift your mindset, try reading                                                                                   your work” model. Humans crave     no curiosity. Their OCD never kicks
          17 Ways Football is Better than High                                                                                   feedback. And they want it fast.   in. Now that worksheet isn’t a quest
          School by Herb Childress (https://                                                                                     Why do we have all that sports data   - it’s a chore. As educators, we are
          websites.umich.edu/~psycours/561/                                                                                      on screen now? Because people      not leveraging the ipsative nature of
          childress.htm). Herb’s work explains                                                                                   want to KNOW. And they want to     learning.
          why the same kids will not work in                                                                                     know now. How fast was that pitch?
          class and then go work super hard                                                                                      How long was the hang time on that   I returned to the classroom for one
          in football (or band or ag) one hour                                                                                   punt? What is the F1 car speed,    glorious year during the height
          later. Circa 1998. We’ve known the                                                                                     when is he hitting the brake what’s   of COVID. I had been doing a lot
          answer for decades, but we can’t                                                                                       his split lap time?                (hundreds) of Fast and Curious
          change the direction of the ship                                                                                                                          demos - but this class was a long-
          heading over the cliff.                                                                                                But in school - we put things in a   term study project. One of my
                                                                                                                                 box and wait. Sometimes we never   students was very well known for his
          The Ebbinghaus Effect says that if                                                                                     get a grade or any feedback. When   non-participation. He did nothing for
          people do something four times over                                                                                    we deny feedback, we interdict a   the first four weeks of school - but   (you earn money in-game for going
          four days, their retention zooms   immediately to read back the 3-5   used it with 4 and a half-year-olds              basic human question: how did I do?  slowly, I got his gamer side plugged   on winning streak and accumulating
          from the low teens to the high 80%   most missed items. I try to give a   and school superintendents. I’ve             I was doing the Fast and Curious   into the games. He started playing,   points).
          range. This is what had happened on   mnemonic or an example on the   had 400+ people who don’t speak                  in India and Dr Sunita Gandhi said   he rose up the ranks. At the end of
          my Latin Roots quiz with my class:   missed items. Then we play again,   Turkish at all move from 0% to 40%            to me: well isn’t this just ipsative   the semester, we did the same 45-  Why don’t more teachers approach
          we did the test daily, with immediate   immediately. The score will typically   to 96% on Turkish foods in under 10    learning (https://psychology.fandom.  word Latin Roots quiz I used to do   their class instruction this way?
          feedback. So simple.              bump up 20-25 points.              minutes.                                          com/wiki/Ipsative_assessment)?     with my 8th graders. But now it was   The Ebbinhaus Effect/Forgetting
                                                                                                                                 Fabulous! And I said…what’s that?   in Gimkit. On average, the students   Curve and Ipsative learning are well
          So, here’s how I leverage the     Tuesday - repeat.                  Teachers will ask: aren’t they just               She explained the basics of the idea.   answered about 108 questions   known in all parts of our life except
          Ebbinghaus Effect/Forgetting Curve   Wednesday - repeat.             memorizing? My response is that                   It’s learning from yourself. Just like   each on a quiz with 45 words. The   for school. I believe we labor under
          in my classroom:                  On Thursday, the class might be    I’ve been waiting for my entire                   in Solitaire. Or Pac-Man. You play.   class average was 92%. My non-  the misconception that more time
                                            at 90% and then we do the final    career to have kids memorize certain              You get a score. You consider ways   participator ended up tops in the   on a singular task is “better” learning
          Monday - here’s the quiz. Go. No   rep. Not there yet? We will play on   academic elements - and we’ve                 to get a better score. Then you play   class - he’d answered 139 questions   when it turns out that 6 minutes a
          pre-teach at all. Most classes will   Friday.                        been trying all manner of failure                 again. And again. You play over and   (doing the quiz almost 3 times in   day is far more effective. I know that
          finish the first round in the 25-40%                                 on this: flashcards, memory games,                over because you want a better     under 15 minutes) only missed five   we think we need to grade “after
          range. We’ve only been in class   This phenomenon works in all       crosswords, word searches, writing                score. What does the high score give   total questions and beaten the   school” on nights and weekends. It’s
          for 3 minutes. Then I use the data   subjects and grade levels. I’ve   sentences, and more. The Fast and               you? Most of the time, nothing. It   entire class by thousands of dollars   not actually the case. We assume

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