Do marks encourage students to study? The discussion of this issue among individuals and in society as a whole has become debatable during the last decade. Some people declare that students' confidence and interests may get hurt if they get unsatisfying marks in study. However, when it comes to me, grades can give encouragement to students in learning as long as they are treated properly.
First of all, students' grades (marks) are given by a designed testing and scoring system with relatively objective criterions. Helping students know their weakness and advantage by marking is one of the core functions of the system. The high marks show the knowledge which is well grasped, while the low ones reflect some parts you have to improve. Take myself as an example, in my last Toefl Test, the poor score in "Speaking" shown that my oral needed improvement. So practicing speaking became more important in preparation of the test this time. It is the grades that help students know themselves better and make more effort to strengthen their weakness.
Another equally essential fact is that student's competitive nature, which is inspired by grades (marks), will at the same time stimulate learning more knowledge. Human beings are always longing for winning. The willing to have the highest score in class intimates many students to work harder and harder. During the process of competition, all the students get improvement. Had there not been marks, students would not have such motivation to study.
Last but not least, grades give students a clear goal. Performing better next semester is always written in New Year's resolution, but "better performance" can not be measured without grades. If a student promises to get straight-A next test, he or she knows what does it mean and how much time should be spent on studying in order to reach the goal.
Taking into account all the aspects shown above, we can safely draw the conclusion that grade is a proper motivation encourages students to learn, for the reason that it helps students know their advantages and disadvantages, that it makes students learn through competing, and that it gives students a clear goal.
(Thanks a lot!)
First of all, students' grades (marks) are given by a designed testing and scoring system with relatively objective criterions. Helping students know their weakness and advantage by marking is one of the core functions of the system. The high marks show the knowledge which is well grasped, while the low ones reflect some parts you have to improve. Take myself as an example, in my last Toefl Test, the poor score in "Speaking" shown that my oral needed improvement. So practicing speaking became more important in preparation of the test this time. It is the grades that help students know themselves better and make more effort to strengthen their weakness.
Another equally essential fact is that student's competitive nature, which is inspired by grades (marks), will at the same time stimulate learning more knowledge. Human beings are always longing for winning. The willing to have the highest score in class intimates many students to work harder and harder. During the process of competition, all the students get improvement. Had there not been marks, students would not have such motivation to study.
Last but not least, grades give students a clear goal. Performing better next semester is always written in New Year's resolution, but "better performance" can not be measured without grades. If a student promises to get straight-A next test, he or she knows what does it mean and how much time should be spent on studying in order to reach the goal.
Taking into account all the aspects shown above, we can safely draw the conclusion that grade is a proper motivation encourages students to learn, for the reason that it helps students know their advantages and disadvantages, that it makes students learn through competing, and that it gives students a clear goal.
(Thanks a lot!)
