The Gatekeeper’s System
In the world of Pathways to Pipelines, learning is not a straight road but a living map—one shaped by imagination, attention, and the courage to explore. To guide this journey, the course introduces a new reward system woven directly into its lore: the Gatekeeper’s Marks.
The Gatekeeper’s Marks: The Currency of Attention
Each mark represents a spark of achievement — a fragment of focus crystallized into form. Learners earn them through participation, creative problem-solving, collaboration, and acts of initiative that show true engagement with the material. They are proof that the learner is not just attending class but attending to it.
Gatekeeper System Manual: The Mark & Card Economy
(Pathways to Pipelines – ADD Learning Framework)
Overview
The Gatekeeper System is a gamified reward structure used in Pathways to Pipelines (P2P) courses. It converts learner attention and participation into tangible progress through Marks, Cards, and Guild Rewards.
This system aligns with Attention-Driven Design (ADD) — where engagement, curiosity, and creativity serve as the engines of achievement.
Students earn Gatekeeper Marks through active engagement and meaningful contribution — completing projects, leading whiteboard sessions, collaborating with peers, arriving prepared and on time, and demonstrating initiative during class activities. These Marks function as tokens of attention and effort, which can be exchanged for access to special challenges, tests, bonuses, or unique privileges within the course. Many times the marks come as stickers.
Mark System
Each Gatekeeper Mark represents a measurable act of focus and creativity.
They function as both proof of effort and currency within the learning ecosystem.
| Mark Count | Unlocks | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Marks | Gatekeeper’s Quiz | Unlocks the right to attempt a short knowledge- or skill-based challenge card. Passing the quiz grants 2 Units. |
| 8 Marks | Scholar’s Test | Unlocks a full test designed to evaluate mastery and creative application of course concepts. Completion grants 5 units. |
| 10 Marks | Guild Aid Mark Card Level 1 | Earns an official Guild Aid Mark Card, allowing access to strategic team advantages(a selected Team assignment will be double (2X) points when completing all listed requirements). Read more on the Guild Aid Mark Cards Level 1. |
| 20 Marks | Level 2 Card | Grants the Level 2 Card, a rare status token that unlocks advanced projects and resubmission privileges of the card the user decides to level up. |
Example Card Types
Cards are advanced rewards crafted through Mark accumulation or Guild activity.
Each has a specific function within the course ecosystem.
1. Guild Aid Mark Card (1 of over 60 cards)
- Represents membership in the course’s collaborative network (the “Guild”).
- Can be redeemed for course and avatar power-ups.
- These cards cannot be purchased with units and can only be acquired from in-class activities and achievements.
2. Forge Card
- A special crafting artifact allowing holders to merge cards to create new combinations or privileges. The chart that shows the forge patterns is hidden somewhere in the realm, waiting for a dweller to find it.
- Example: Two Guild Aid Marks + One Level 2 Card = Unlock new project permissions.
3. Level 2 Card
- A Level 2 Card is required to access elite challenges, alter course material, and modify group grades.
- 3. Level 3 Card
- A Level 3 Card is required to access melee attacks on course assignments, rules, and challenges; alter course material; and modify grades. However, this card can only be used with a level 1 Moon or Wolf Pack coin. (Read more on Attacks in the Card Levels Section.)
Guild System
Dwellers form Guilds (teams). Guilds can combine their achievements for collective rewards.
Guild Combination Rules:
- When 5 Level 1 Cards (any type) are collected by a Guild, the team may activate The Guild’s Boon, choosing one of the following benefits:
- Full Restoration – All team members’ scores reset to full credit for the current pipeline.
- Temporal Reversal – Up to three assignments may be reopened for 24 hours for revision or completion.
These rewards are limited and require guild consensus and the gatekeeper’s approval.
The Unit Marketplace
Units represent the exchangeable energy of effort.
They can be earned through quizzes, tests, or special Guild challenges and then spent within the course’s Marketplace for:
- Project extensions
- Creative material upgrades
- Unlocking hidden content or alternate assignments
- and more…
The Marketplace operates as an evolving digital economy managed by the Gatekeeper and integrated with the ADD P2P ecosystem.
System Principles
- Attention = Energy—Focused participation creates tangible outcomes.
- Progress = Choice—Learners decide how to use their effort (marks, cards, or guild support).
- Collaboration = Power—Collective effort unlocks shared privileges.
- Creativity = Advancement—The Forge allows innovation through combination.
Example Progression Path
A student earns 5 Marks through creative coding and team participation using the whiteboard in class as a team lead.
They unlock a Gatekeeper’s Quiz and pass it, earning Units.
After accumulating 10 Marks, they gain a Guild Aid Mark Card.Or instead of turning their marks in for a Guild Aid Mark, they save 20 Marks and receive a Level 2 Card and access the Marketplace Hidden Scroll.
100 Marks: can summon a coin.
The Guild could also decide to gather five Level 1 Guild Aid Mark Cards and invoke the Guild’s Boon to reopen three missed assignments.
The Forge Card: The Power of Creation
While the Gatekeeper’s Marks open paths, the Forge Card reshapes the world itself. This rare artifact allows its holder to combine cards — merging achievements to craft new outcomes. The Forge Card is less a prize than a responsibility: it represents creative synthesis, the capacity to transform effort into invention. It embodies the principle of From Lore to Code — the idea that imagination, when structured through logic, becomes reality.
The Guild’s Boon: The Ultimate Collective Reward
When five Level 1 Guild Aid Mark Cards are gathered, a team may invoke the Guild’s Boon. This legendary reward lets the Guild (or team) choose between two acts of generosity:
- Full Restoration: All team members’ scores are restored to full strength for a selected assignment in a previous pathway.
- Temporal Reversal: Up to three assignments may be reopened for 24 hours, granting the team a second chance to improve or complete them.
This mechanic encourages collaboration and accountability — not through penalty, but through shared empowerment. The Guild’s success is built on cooperation, timing, and trust.
The Philosophy Behind the System
This entire structure follows the principle of Attention-Driven Design (ADD) developed by Malik Stalbert, PhD. In ADD, attention is treated as both a scarce resource and a creative energy. By transforming attention into a tangible currency, students learn that focus has form. Each Mark is a measurable sign of persistence and engagement, converting abstract effort into visible progress.
Moreover, by merging the mechanics of games with the ethics of education, the system re-teaches the meaning of assessment. Tests become gateways, not walls. Collaboration becomes a currency. Achievement is no longer confined to grades; it becomes part of the narrative.
Summonings: Manifesting the Artifacts
The act of Summoning represents the ultimate display of sustained focus and dedication within the realm. When a student manages to accumulate 100 Marks, they channel enough energy to manifest a rare Coin into existence.
However, the power of these artifacts is too significant to be granted without effort:
- The Manifestation: While the Coin is officially summoned into The Realm (the physical and digital course environment), its exact location is veiled.
- The Enigma: The Coin’s resting place is subtly hidden, waiting for a worthy dweller to find it.
- The Revelation: To pinpoint the Coin’s location, the student or Guild must first acquire and utilize a Clue Strip. This special artifact—which may be bought in the Marketplace or earned through an elite challenge—provides the necessary cryptographic clue to unlock the final location of the summoned Coin.
A Coin is an extremely rare status token, often required to access the highest-level privileges, such as the Level 3 Card. This mechanic ensures that these rewards are earned not just through persistence, but through strategy and intellect.
