XP based grading - my students like it

[update] It's been a (school) year since I started this XP based grading system and if you want to see what the students think about it and how it turned out -> read this post[/update]

Ever since I started teaching computer science last year I thought much about motivation in class. The school system in Austria (and probably everywhere) is so extremely outdated and the gaps between the worlds the teachers and the students live in have never been greater.

Before I started teaching I worked on a grading system that was both fair and fun but still based on the traditional grading system so I could use it without special permits. So I developed an XP based grading system where students have to "level up" their grade by receiving XP (eXperience Points).

They get XP for every positive action but never lose them. It's important for the motivation that the XP they've earned cannot be taken from them. Negative actions like not doing homework are punished indirectly by not providing the XP they need to pass the year.

Here is how it works in the beginning of each year:

1. I give my students a list of about 8 topics that they can learn about this year
2. They can anonymously vote for 3-5 of them (depending on how many lessons/week we have)
3. I then set the maximum XP for each topic (I call them sections)
4. The grading starts -> Every student has to gain at least 51% on every section in order for him or her to pass the year

For this I have created a website where students can check their XP, compare their results with their classmates (anonymously - there is no high-score list) and get a nice and easy to understand overview of their performance in class.

This is my class overview (note that the website is very very beta and more of a proof-of-concept)

As you can see every section is graded separately and has its own graphical progress bar.

Students see exactly the same interface but with only their progress and not those of their classmates.

The "Info" link next to the name of the sections gives detailed information on the students performance and also a comparison chart

As for grading I made this UI where I can give any student of this class XP and I have to enter a reason so I can track it later and the student can see what he did over the year.

This method of grading is completely transparent and gives the students the ability to track their success in real time and if they think they're falling behind they can look for tutoring on the same platform since all students of the school I'm working for are registered on this site.

But this is only the beginning, I have so more ideas and things I want to do with this system.

If you are interested in this topic stay tuned, I'm currently writing scientific article on this topic and my system with student and teacher testimonials.