Incentive-based Learning: Does it Work?

Quinn Anya Carey has a guest post over at Teleread, blasting incentive-based learning programs, such as Pizza Hut's Book It! program, in which kids are doled out Pizza Hut coupons for reading x of books. She is writing in response to Ken Komoski's essay, No (Child) Consumer Left Behind. Komoski is the driving force behind an incentives-based technology tutoring program, eLearningSpace, in which students earn "time dollars" that serve to encourage them to use time more efficiently, and earn credit toward computers or other desireable items.  David Rothman (Mr. Teleread) responds to Carey's post about why he's "pro-bribe" and he and Carey have a decent back-and-forth in the comments in which Carey is able to tease Komoski's project away from Book It! type programs.

I've long been a critic of the sorts of programs mentioned by Carey, angered that my kids are marketed to in school by multi-national corporations.  I've even ranted about marketing to kids through summer reading programs using premiums, but heard compelling compelling arguments to make me (mostly) shut my mouth about the value of reading programs. Please, though, keep that damn yellow-shoed, french-fry smelling clown away from my kids!   

I had the pleasure of meeting with Ken Komoski this past weekend, and having him take me through eLearningSpace. While I feel a bit bristly about using the word "consumers" in referring to learners (it's the hippie in me), Komoski makes very compelling arguments.

This ‘full attention’ should include engaging tweens-teens as savvy consumers, capable of helping themselves to become more discriminating consumers of learning. By failing to engage them in a process that improves the amount and the quality of the intellectual capital they currently are developing, we will continue sending an extremely risk-laden message: “Whatever you’re doing with your media time is just fine by us.”

I'm looking forward to learning more about eLearningSpace, and talking further with Ken. I'm also trying to convince the Raccoons, Jr. to have a go at the math module on ELS, since we're a math-deficient family, but I think I'm going to have to resort to bribery.