@fgraver @dom @etikemik @brunogirin @pluralistic @ameel Anecdata: I taught a course where within the first month of the semester I told the class that everyone would be receiving an A on their transcript, regardless of their performance. I still handed out and graded homework and gave exams, but they would be completely uncorrelated with the grade in the course. I had the busiest office hours of my peers afterwards. I also observed for the first time ever students who had fallen behind come back to the course, instead of just spiraling. I obviously can't speculate about the counterfactual, but I noticed increased engagement across all demographics except one: my student-athletes mostly checked out (student-athletes in the US tend to be high performers because high marks are required to remain on their respective teams).
D
