Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Line
Therefore, I created a "competence matrix". Every single tool or trade is listed. Wiring, programming, etc. In order for any student to use them, they have to have proved prior competence - and that includes understanding info from the manual. This was my attempt at improving safety a bit.
They have to be certified by another certified user. We'll probably go a step further next year and create an actual test for each item.
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This sounds very interesting to me.
Although it could be hard to keep under control, it sounds like a powerful strategy for several reasons:
-It gives students personal responsibility for, and therefore a stake in, the quality of the team's work and skill.
-By making students think about the competence of others, it gives them responsibility for their own knowledge/skill.
-This could lead to students teaching other students, and since one learns from teaching, both sides will learn. Even though that may already take place all the time, a formal peer-certification system could further that.
Perhaps it would be just as good without having a test. Or, the same could be done with a test, but the test could be given or graded (even created) by certified students.
The certification idea never occurred to me before--I'm going to write that down somewhere.