Health Points(HP) are a simple and human-centred way to guide learner behaviour in an online learning environment. Instead of focusing only on content completion, HP reflects how a learner participates in the system. When students act in alignment with the learning culture and community rules, they earn Health Points. When they act against the system or show low commitment, a deduction is reflected. Over time, Health Points act as a behavioural mirror, encouraging self-regulation, accountability, and consistency.

Why Health Points Matter

Learning is not just about watching videos or submitting assignments. It is also about discipline, ownership, collaboration, and integrity. Health Points help reinforce these values gently, without constant monitoring. They reward positive actions such as consistency, initiative, and peer support, while discouraging behaviours like repeated delays, disengagement, or disregard for rules. In this way, HP supports a healthier and more responsible learning ecosystem.

How Health Points Worked Earlier

Earlier, the Health Points system was entirely manual. Mentors would observe student behaviour and decide on point additions or deductions. These decisions were then communicated to a sheet manager, who updated the Health Points in a shared spreadsheet. While this approach worked initially, it became difficult to sustain as the number of students and mentors increased. The process was slow, heavily dependent on individuals, and prone to delays.

The Automated Health Points System

To make the system scalable and smoother, we are moving to an automated workflow using Google Forms. Mentors will submit Health Point updates through a simple form whenever a student demonstrates extraordinary effort or requires a correction. Each submission will be recorded automatically and fetched by the main dashboard, where the updated Health Points will be reflected for students in near real time. This preserves mentor judgement while removing unnecessary manual steps.

What Changes with Automation

Automation reduces operational effort while improving transparency and consistency. Every Health Point change is logged, traceable, and reflected directly on the dashboard. Mentors spend less time coordinating updates, students get timely feedback, and the system remains fair and scalable across cohorts.

In Essence

Health Points help keep the learning environment healthy by encouraging the right behaviours and discouraging harmful ones. Automating this process allows us to retain the human element of mentoring while building a system that is reliable, efficient, and ready to grow with the programme.