Gem rank: the motivation layer built into every student portal

When students can see their own academic progress as a score they earn — and compare it with classmates — something shifts.

Most academic motivation systems in schools are either extrinsic (prizes, certificates at assembly) or invisible (a mark in a teacher's book the student never sees until the report card). Terma's Gem Rank sits between those extremes: a live, in-app score every student can see at any time. Gems are earned, not assigned. A student earns gems for three types of activity: completing digital homework on time, showing improvement in assessment scores relative to their own previous performance, and maintaining consistency. The ranking is class-scoped. Students see their own gem count and where they sit in their class. They can see who is ahead of them, but not specific scores. For teachers, Gem Rank is a passive engagement signal. A student whose gem count stalls mid-term is not completing homework, not improving, or both. The students who accumulate the most gems by end of term are almost always the students with the most consistent results. The rank is not a proxy for intelligence. It is a proxy for effort over time.