Correcting the carrot and stick

We've all seen cartoons in which an impatient traveler dangles a carrot in front of his mule in hopes of spurring him onward. As intended, the mule is persistent with his march as long as the carrot is present. Eventually, the traveler ends up where he'd hoped, and the mule is, for the moment, satisfied with his reward. But what are the long-term results of this motivational technique?\nThe mule is being conditioned to seek short-term satisfaction at the cost of understanding the long-term implications. Commonplace examples of such conditioning can be found all over campus. I can't remember the last club meeting that didn't use pizza or class points to entice students to attend. \nEven during our lectures, professors use the carrot-and-stick system. It's Monday morning, and everyone in the lecture hall is thinking about the sleep they could be getting. So why did they drag themselves out of bed this morning? Oh yeah, attendance points. \nTo stimulate the discussion, the professor offers extra credit to the next person who asks or answers a question. Suddenly, amidst the stagnant pool of drooling sophomores, 12 ... 15 ... 20 hands shoot up, eager to respond.\nWell, great! Professors are able to engage us with minimal effort. Our understanding of the material will, in theory, be broadened, and everyone is content. Unfortunately, as a student, I know it doesn't work that way. I'm so fixated on the carrot that I've lost sight of the destination. I'm not asking and answering questions because I want to understand the material any more. At this point, I will say anything relatively pertinent just to get my hands on that bonus point.\nNow, I can't say that I have much experience with the interview process. However, last time I checked, Deloitte recruiters weren't handing out T-shirts and Smarties to their interviewees. \nThe point is this: The world has been ravished by this ever-present but never satisfied what's-in-it-for-me mentality. It is the driving force behind the corporate and political corruption that has exhausted our news broadcasts. \nSo let's consider exchanging our carrot and stick for a whip or at least a set of spurs. Rather than settling for students who expect immediate gratification from their professors, I challenge professors to expect performance out of students. Reward us when we least expect it, and we will begin to expect it less.