So the only difference between Cowboy Credits and sats is that I can't withdraw Cowboy Credits?

That's right. That's the only difference.

• "LLMs are great at homework"

• We would send them the names and addresses of people using data we already had, along with a number of other data columns.
• They would send us back our data, with credit scores attached, and the names and addresses de-identified (since we didn't really care about the names and addresses per se)

1. Multiple choice tests
   • I do use these. I find that it's a necessary balance between the need to assess learning outcomes and my time available to grade. These can test critical thinking skills if you give a tricky problem. However, they are not good at testing communication skills and are prone to guessing/cheating.
2. Individual writing assignments
   • I do these as well, but I use an AI grading tool that gives them instant feedback regarding grammar, flow, and structure. The good thing about this is by the time their writing gets to me, it is easier to read. Without it, I will get absolutely unreadable essays. This does not violate my conscience because I do not consider it part of my duties to teach them to write. (They should already know how, but many don't.)
   • Beyond the grammar and structure which is graded by AI, I give a simplistic rating on the content. Either below/meets/exceeds expectations. Generally, I just look at their writing briefly and ask: "Is there anything obviously wrong about this?", and "Does this make me want to read it more carefully since it looks like there's something interesting here?"
   • Again, the need is to balance time with learning. I figure that by making them write and think about it is already a valuable learning experience, whether or not the grade is fully reflective of their competence.
3. Group projects
   • These are the assignments that really integrate all of a student's skills, including executive function, communication, and analytical ability.
   • However, I do not have time to grade individualized projects, so I assign them in groups.
   • The downside is a lot of deadbeat students free-ride off the efforts of their better peers.
   • The upside is that the good students can really shine on these projects. I've had some great projects where students could showcase their skills.
4. Overall philosophy
   • In the end, my philosophy is that those who don't want to learn won't, and those that do will.
   • In every class, there is a mix of those who want to learn and those who don't.
   • For those who don't want to learn, I acknowledge (to myself, not explicitly) that we are just playing a stupid game with each other. I really don't care what happens to these students and what grade they get. They get whatever grade they deserve according to the rules I set. Usually, they do the bare minimum to get the grade they want. I figure that by doing this bare minimum, they hopefully at least learned something that maybe will be useful to them one day in the future.
   • For those that want to learn, I want to ensure that my class gives them the opportunity to acquire valuable skills, knowledge, and experience.

5. On cheating
   • Honestly, I've never seen cheating to be a big enough problem. Even for things like multiple choice tests, I know cheating is not rampant because the students usually do so poorly on it anyway. I'm sure there are a handful that teach, but on the whole it doesn't seem to be a huge concern in my context.
   • This plays out differently if the test is computerized, though. So because of that, all my tests are on paper, not on computer.

6. Class discussions
   • Forgot to mention, I do some class discussions as well. These tend not to be graded in any way.
   • However, I think that even for the students who don't care about learning, this is where they might get the most of the class, because this is where we discuss high level concepts and how they apply to the real world in a non-technical manner that is helpful in shaping how the students view the world. This is where we can discuss things like the ill effects of rent control or how zoning regulations cause housing shortages.
   • Since the topics deal with issues of current interest, the students are usually more engaged, even the ones who don't seem to care about learning or who aren't technically competent with the rest of the classwork.