Grades are becoming less and less effective in motivating pupils to learn. Schools are therefore looking for new ways to strengthen engagement and a sense of purpose in learning. One solution is microcredentials – precise, understandable, and genuinely supportive of development.
The traditional grading system has been questioned for years. The six-point scale, although widely used, is increasingly failing to fulfil its basic function – it does not give students or parents reliable information about actual progress in learning, let alone provide effective motivation for development.
This problem has also been recognised by education researchers. There are two conflicting approaches to assessment: one treats assessment as feedback supporting development, while the other sees it as a tool for control, reward and punishment. In practice, however, assessments often fail to fulfil either of these roles adequately. An additional challenge is the declining authority of schools. Students are increasingly aware that good or bad grades do not directly translate into their future.
How can we effectively motivate students to learn?
The answer may be to supplement the assessment system with solutions that are more understandable, engaging, and based on the real skills of students. One of these is microcredentials, documents that confirm skills in a specific area and are based on established standards. Microcredentials are usually collected and shared in digital form. Microcredentials and digital badges are issued in the Odznaka+ application developed by the Educational Research Institute – National Research Institute.
Their strength also lies in their social dimension. Microcredentials can be presented outside of school – on social media or in a digital portfolio. School ceases to be solely a place for issuing grades and becomes an institution that certifies students’ real competences.
In addition, the mechanism of collecting badges triggers natural, internal motivation. Acquiring successive microcredentials gives a sense of agency, progress, and meaning to learning – and this is the foundation of lasting commitment to development.
Microcredentials do not replace grades, but they give them meaning. They show that learning is a process that can be described, appreciated, and realistically linked to a student’s future – both educational and professional.
For more information, visit microcredentials.pl.