Sandra's Suggestions

So here's my brief suggestion list, I suppose. Most of the complaints I have have already been mentioned here so it's going to be rather short. I do however, have a good idea on how to manage the tier list and fix the class problem. Here goes.

Well, we all know that the classes at Hogwarts aren't very successful. In my opinion, this is because people don't feel they're getting much out of them. It's not like there's a rule saying you have to learn a spell in class to use it, nor should there be. So why go to class at all?

Ta-da. I've got it. To go up on the tier list. Think about it. The most powerful people in the Harry Potter series were also the best students. Reward players by going to class and posting there (And posting well) by upping their standards in the Tier list. My following suggestion is going to take quite a bit of work, but I believe it can be divided into manageable sections.

Step 1: Create a thread telling all active Hogwarts students to post there. This gives us a list of all the Hogwarts students.

Step 2: Create a thread only teachers can see. Copy the list of students into that thread, and then give all the teachers the power to edit it. They can then find their students and put only their grades. For example:

Selwyn Thorfin:
Abbey Dawn:
James Wake:

Then the CoMC teacher brings in her grades. Selwyn and Abbey take her class, and both received E's. James does not take her class. She edits. The list now looks like this.

Selwyn Thorfin: E
Abbey Dawn: E
James Wake: N/A

After the next teacher, perhaps the list looks like this:

Selwyn Thorfin: E, O
Abbey Dawn: E, N/A
James Wake: N/A, A

Eventually every student should have 6 marks next to their name, 1 for each class. I recommend updating this every 1-2 months.

Step 3: Now apply this information. Look at the students with the most grades, and the highest. Maybe 2 As= 1 E, and 2 Es=1 O, etc. Simplify the grades as much as possible. Example:

Selwyn Thorfin: E, O, E, A, A, A
Abbey Dawn: E, N/A, N/A, A, E, E
James Wake: N/A, A, N/A, N/A, N/A, E

Becomes

Selwyn Thorfin: O, O , E, A
Abbey Dawn: O, E
James Wake: A, E

So Selwyn might go up a tier, since he's obviously been studying. Abbey would stay the same, and maybe James would too. Or maybe James would go down.

_____________________________________________________________________________

PART II: Wow, this is longer than I though. Hm.

Anyway, that gives kids a reason to go to class. But we want them to have fun too, right? People have been looking for interesting twists to put on classes to make them more fun, but we're looking on the wrong track. We don't need a trick. We need to show them something.

Most threads are honestly just character interaction. Nothing wrong with that. It's a fun part of the RP process. But what these threads really boil down to is people talking to each other.

Couldn't they just do that...in class?

Exactly.

Obviously there are exceptions. But show people that their interaction can be achieved in classes. For example if I want to interact with Abbey, I realize we're in charms class together! We can do our interaction there!

Summary:

1. Reward class activity with Tier list changes
2. Raise awareness that interaction can be achieved in class.

Discuss.

Great ideas Keith.

1. Well I like this idea, but the thing is, some people don't care about the Tier List. They like to focus on character development, and they don't duel much. So these people really have no use of going to classes, even if they go higher in the Tier list. However, I guess that rewarding class activity like this will make some people go to classes, and it makes more sense too. However, just reminding you that if a person doesn't go to any classes, he/she doesn't go up one year, which means that person will stay in the same Tier. I think this could work, it'll take a long time and might go wrong, but theres no harm in trying I guess.

2. Well lovely suggestion. From what I've seen classes are just. "hello class. Whats the answer to this question. This is your homework. The end." I think that class interaction needs to start with teachers but we also need to raise awareness with the students. How we are going to do this is a problem. Certain privvy people go to classes and converse with other students perhaps? :/

Darren
1. the tier list hasn't been up for 24 hours, we can't say whether it is, or isn't being used, give it a few days, i'll be a nazi about it.

2. I used to ask questions then break them into pairs or groups and let them practice the spell, juut so you know

Keith? I knew that was you... i can change the permissions to keith if you like, up to you.

Well that's a really good idea, i'd also say the teachers need to specify that the students don't know it when they come in, that could maybe change the posting quality a bit, or increase interest? Maybe.
And yeah, allow a bit more interaction, perhaps some group work, make a question with abstract answers and have them answer it as a group, let them mull over it together for awhile before they posted their answers? Of course that'd require active members, not sure how successfully we could accomplish that...

Also, that grading method is good, we should look into that, particularly with the tier thing. But what happens when they're at the top of their age restriction? Maybe we would make it harder to maintain, and easy to put you back down?

On another topic:

I think it may be a good idea to limit the number of student animagi, and even animagi at all on the site. There were only 7 registered animagi in the entire 20th century (as of the 3rd book at least) and we only know of 4 non registered ones (the maruaders and skeeter) But Skeeter was fully grown and the marauders were especially gifted, and it still took them years of constant study to become an animagus. it just seems like we have an unrealistic number of them on the site.

Well i'm all for us getting rid of them for students, students get too much, and grads too little, however i would say that grads should still be able to become animagi.

However that's not my area so i'll wait for... Mari, i think it is, to answer that for you.