Why do I care if we call our report Scorecard or Report Card? It's all the same. Right?

Not exactly.

What's the difference if you catch a perch or a trout? They're both fish. Right? See, it all depends on what you want. If the idea is to catch a fish, any old fish will do. If the idea is to catch a perch then you'd probably be disappointed with a trout. Right?

So, briefly, here's the difference.

Report card: It arrives at the end of the grading period. It reflects what has happened. It motivates the students to work harder. It is reflective of a learning process.

Scorecard. It is continuously updated as events unfold (i.e. the score changes), It reflects what is happening in the moment. Afterwards it identifies the winner. It constantly motivates the participants. Fans on the sideline can cheer or boo at their pleasure, depending on the score.

R H E

What baseball fan doesn't know the meaning of a box score of Runs, Hits, Errors? Once you learn, you never forget. Also, following box scores for a long period of time gives a fan insight into what happened, or is happening, in the game. Runs usually outnumber the hits. A team with multiple errors usually loses. etc, etc.

There is a big difference between report cards and score cards. The distinction is important to me.

Tomorrow: What should we do about measuring the user experience?
4:53:40 AM    comment []