Although grades are often portrayed as detrimental to students’ motivation and interest in learning, closer analysis of the evidence indicates that when used appropriately, grades can be a meaningful and effective form of feedback. Thomas R. Guskey clarifies how studies on grades are frequently misinterpreted, explains how grades offer important but insufficient information on students’ learning progress, and describes conditions that must be met for grades to serve as a meaningful and effective form of feedback for students.
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