Like many other teachers, I have found that the way in which course requirements are structured has a significant influence on the learning outcomes of a course. In particular, I have found that the standard mixture of exams and term papers is often simply not the most effective way to encourage learning and stimulate critical thinking. There are several different types of alternatives to the exam/term paper format which I have tried and which have had positive results. Exams and traditional term papers certainly have their place and I use them in certain cases, but there are also other possibilities which provide a better opportunity (and a more effective “prod“) to encourage independent critical thinking.