RE: Grading & Motivation

["Richard E. Zultner" <Richard@zultner.com>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: FVoehl@aol.com [mailto:FVoehl@aol.com]
> Dr. Deming once explained to me that his system of giving As to
students,
> which are theirs to lose, helps preserve both internal and external
> motivation--Internal from the students viewpoint and external from the
> instructors viewpoint.  Both are part of the system and both must work
in
> harmony if the system is to work effectively.
Does anyone have any references to any studies that actually
investigated what the short and long term effect of grades on motivation
is? Especially at the college and graduate level? (I would think by grad
school we have a robust and stable system for motivation...)

> But my main point in the post was to show, WITH EVIDENCE, that the
system is
> overwhelmingly favored by the students.  It works because they want it
to
> work and are intrinsically motivated to make it work.
In what sense does it "work"? And how do we know the motivation to do so
is intrinsic (and not extrinsic)?
> And the instructor is
> motivated as well, thus providing a form of extrinsic motivation.
And how do we know this?

> Finally,
> the external client (the companies for which Operations Analysis
studies were
> performed) were also motivated.
Yes, but by what? Profits perhaps, but grades? I see that grades are
convenient for them to use in their selection process, but just how are
they "motivated" by grades?

Regards, Richard
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