With the widespread growth of broadband Internet access, teachers, and in many cases, schools and school districts are transitioning from traditional paper-based grade books to student accessible online (Web-based) grade books. Online grade books offer students 24/7, on demand access to grades and various other student data, and have the potential to provide students with timely and accurate course grades. Despite the noted benefits of online grade books, and the expectation students have for accessing information online, little is known about the effects that online grade books have upon students' motivation and achievement.

This study examines the causal impact of offering high school students access to an online grade book on several motivation-related constructs: mastery goal orientation, performance-approach goal orientation, performance-avoidance goal orientation, academic self efficacy, and grades. Additional analyses explore the correlation between the aforementioned constructs and online grade book usage. In a randomized, controlled study of 721 public high school students I find that allowing students online access to their grades significantly impacts their mastery goal orientation. By looking within the group of students offered access to their online grades, the correlational analyses indicate that students who checked their online grades had higher academic self efficacy than those who chose not to access their online grades. Offering students online grade book access did not significantly impact students' performance-approach goal orientation, performance-avoidance goal orientation, grade orientation, or their grades.

By identifying a direct, causal link between allowing students online access to their grades and an increase in their mastery goal orientation, this study provides student-level evidence to support school or district efforts to explore online grading.