Hi Michelle, Your second sentence deals with an important point. Since the students are students they need to have the opportunity to test ideas and solutions out in a low risk environment. The classroom is that environment. They can do their projects under the supervision of a content expert and as a result the evaluation of that expert gives them confidence in the growth of their expertise. As we know once we graduate we are on our own so it is nice to know that for a while we have someone to help us when we are learning. I think this point is lost on some students as they think of instructors as being critical rather than being supportive. We are not but we do have to evaluate student progress and provide input where needed. Gary