Grades, in and of themselves, do not necessarily encourage students to learn.

Grades only serve the purpose of measuring a student’s progress, not encouraging it.

I believe that grades do encourage learning.

In a school setting, grades serve the role of measuring a student’s progress. By assigning a number, a teacher can gauge how well the student has mastered a concept. This measure can be used to determine the student’s level of achievement, which can then be used to determine whether further instruction is necessary.

Another factor that grades motivate students to learn is the intrinsic reward students experience when they receive a mark that is higher than they expected. This reinforces the notion that even a wrong answer can be correct if the student had sufficient mastery of the subject. However, if a student receives too many high grades, he or she may come to regard learning as merely a means of obtaining rewards and losing sight of the importance of learning for the sake of learning. Students should be encouraged to learn without the expectation of receiving a reward. Having a clear sense of purpose and accomplishment when learning will help them to internalize the importance of learning.

Ultimately, grades only serve the purpose of measuring a student’s progress. Teachers should use other methods to encourage learning. For example, assigning students additional work when they show exceptional mastery of a subject or creating a class competition to encourage students to study more vigorously are all effective ways of encouraging students to learn.

Owing to the cyclical nature of education, students do not learn solely through grades. Grades provide teachers with an indication of how well students understand a concept; this measure can be used to determine whether further instruction is necessary. However, grades do not necessarily motivate students to learn. Students strive to learn because they understand the intrinsic value of increasing their knowledge and skills. Students should be encouraged to learn without the expectation of receiving a reward. Grades are merely a means to motivate students by informing them of their accomplishments, and these grades should be awarded on the basis of mastery, not mediocrity.