27 DEC 2013 by ideonexus

 Anecdote of Badges Encouraging Tutoring

When it comes to biology, Catherine Lacey is a Level 40 Hero. That's her ranking on OpenStudy, where the University of Western Australia student spends up to 30 hours per week answering homework questions posed by students around the world. The level indicates time spent on the site, and Hero is the hardest-to-attain badge. If you think of helping with homework as a game, she's got the high score. The 20-year-old first stumbled upon the OpenStudy site while surfing the Web. She was hooked af...
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A student is motivated to tutor on a website that awards badges. Two takeaways from this: (1) award badges for mentoring and (2) award badges for content creation. Also, award points that can be spent in moderating like slashdot.

24 DEC 2013 by ideonexus

 Reverse Mentoring-Learning

Or want to strengthen your working memory and ability to multitask? Try reverse mentoring—learning with your teenager. This is the first time in history when children are authorities about something important, and the successful ones are pioneers of a new paradigm in thinking. Extensive research shows that people can improve cognitive function and brain efficiency through simple lifestyle changes, such as incorporating memory exercises into their daily routine.
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Don Tapscott on why you should let your kids teach you things.