Search
Close this search box.

A Better Understanding of Failure

Credit: iStock.com/sakkmesterke
Credit: iStock.com/sakkmesterke
Paul Feigenbaum’s article (2021) on failure changed how I think about it. I’ve written a lot about failure—advocating for it and what it contributes to learning—and Feigenbaum agrees: failure plays a powerful role in learning. He calls it “generative failure” and describes it as an “orientation in which mistakes, errors, and setbacks represent temporary, healthy, and integral components of any learning process” (p. 15).

To continue reading, you must be a Teaching Professor Subscriber. Please log in or sign up for full access.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related Articles

I have two loves: teaching and learning. Although I love them for different reasons, I’ve been passionate about...
Like millions of people, I play Wordle each day in The New York Times. If you are unfamiliar,...
During my third year of college, another student that many of my friends interacted with, who tutored some...
If you have ever taught (or taken) an online class, you may have fallen into the trap of...
Exit tickets are simple diagnostic assessments given to students at the end of a class. The “ticket” in...
In one of the most memorable courtroom scenes in cinematic history, Tom Cruise is Lieutenant Junior Grade Kaffee...
I don’t usually gasp while reading how-to books for new professors. But then, I don’t often encounter revelations...

Are you signed up for free weekly Teaching Professor updates?

You'll get notified of the newest articles.