Challenge

I have an idea that could provide high schools and universities extra revenue and open opportunities for students that might want to give up or drop out. Look at students who are bored. I see them. I see them roll their eyes and shake their heads.

What if students that believe they already know the content could challenge the class? I wish I could have done that during my master’s program. There were several courses where I knew the information and had even taught some of the content. I would have paid to challenge the course, but this was not an option. So I sat through hours and hours of lectures that I could have delivered myself. What a waste! A waste of my time and the professors. I know there were others in the class who knew the content also. The professor could pull together the learning objectives, outcomes, and multiple assessments (tests and/or culminating product). The student can then pay a fee to challenge the course. They could have three times to challenge it, and each time they pay a fee to take the challenge.

Teachers can determine prior knowledge and then allow students to challenge what they know. This could be an option in high school or maybe even middle school. This would be more like independent study where each student learns at their own speed. Those students that challenge the class or content get credit for the class if they master the challenge.

Now the challenge for schools is how to fund students that master the challenge and find other learning opportunities for them that stretch their abilities. Just imagine differentiating to this level. Think about a math student who is two levels above the rest of the class. Let them challenge the current level and then give them an opportunity to do research, create a project, or take an online class that moves them to the next level.