Two students are given a project to work on together. Each student could either work or shirk. There is no individual accountability; each student receives the same grade regardless of how much work he or she contributes. One student is a weak student who prefers partying and the other is a serious student who prefers working hard. How can the teacher adjust the incentive scheme to ensure equal effort by both students?
A) Ask each student to evaluate the other and use that assessment in grading the project.
B) Ask the more serious student to put in as much effort as possible.
C) Ask the weaker student to put in as much effort as possible.
D) Leave the incentive scheme as is-the students will automatically put in equal effort.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

By asking each student to evaluate the other, they will feel accountable to one another and will be more likely to put in equal effort. This creates a sense of peer pressure and mutual accountability, which may motivate the weaker student to put in more effort and discourage the serious student from shirking. This strategy also encourages both students to work collaboratively and communicate constructively, which are important skills in any professional setting. Choices B and C are not effective because they assume that one student is more motivated than the other, which may not be the case. Leaving the incentive scheme as is (choice D) is not likely to result in equal effort and may lead to resentment or conflict between the students.

Two Students Are Given a Project to Work on Together