Are grades hurting students? New book asks us to consider what they might be

In Failing Our Future: How Grades Hurt Students and What We Can Do About ItJoshua Eyler examines how traditional grading harms students’ learning experience. He argues that grades distract students from authentic learning because they are extrinsic motivators and shift students’ focus to rewards rather than promoting intellectual curiosity and discovery.

Eyler demonstrates that our obsession with grades increases academic stress, causes anxiety, and contributes to the current mental health crisis among students. He suggests that grades reinforce competition and inequalities. They also benefit students with more resources and support, while harming those who face systemic barriers to learning.

By failing our futureEyler advocates for meaningful grading reforms, emphasizing portfolio-based grading, which prioritizes student growth and allows for a more holistic assessment of learning. Writing to the diary Active Learning in Higher EducationResearchers Kelsey Chamberlin, Maï Yasué, and Chant a Chiang agree that students who “used narrative assessments experienced greater intrinsic and autonomous motivation than students who were graded across multiple ranges.” Eyler believes that these alternative methods of assessing learning can reduce stress and create an environment in which students engage more deeply with course material.

The most convincing aspect Failing our future is Eyler’s extensive use of quantitative and qualitative research to paint a picture of the damage caused by an excessive emphasis on grades. He points to the rise in mental health problems among students, including depression and suicidal ideation. Main studies confirm Eyler’s ideas. For example, based on interview and survey data, Chamberlin and colleagues found that “grades did not increase academic motivation. Instead, grades increased anxiety and avoidance of challenging courses.”

Eyler’s arguments are in congruence with experts in teaching, psychology, and educational policy who believe that an emphasis on holistic development and critical thinking, creativity, understanding, and collaboration will better serve students overall. For those who are hesitant to de-emphasize grades, he shared that “grades have never been objective measures of learning or achievement. They are, at most, a reflection of students’ progress toward individual goals set by an instructor for a given course; they are not a universal statement of knowledge gained in a specific field.

After reading Failing our futureI was led to think about the ways in which we should better balance academic standards with student well-being, and how can we create learning environments that prioritize growth, creativity, and equity rather than just grades?