"...we need to abandon the dichotomy between unguided problem solving and heavily guided direct instruction." (Kapur, 2014, p . 299)
Solving this Wicked Problem - Inside the Classroom
While attempting to tackle this problem my group and I went through a multi-step questions process (detailed here), that lead us to one solution. In order to allow for failure as a learning mode to be utilized, we had to change the perception of failure. We then saw two areas in which perceptions needed to change:
Outside The Classroom: Parents, Administrators and students need to understand the benefits of learning through failure.
Inside The Classroom: The way that teachers present material, and how students interact with that material, needs to be adjusted.
This section is focused on the adjustments that need to take place, Inside The Classroom, in order for the perception of failure to be changed.
It may be difficult, at first, to make these adjustments. No teacher wants their students to fail, and the certainly do not want to make their students uncomfortable. However, with a slight adjustment in thinking and a change in approach, teachers can integrate failure as a learning mode into their classroom in ways that support their students and prepare them for challenges in life. It has also been shown to lead to better learning outcomes (Kapur, 2014) . This is possible by utilizing Productive Failure and Productive Success approaches.
A quick summary of these two approaches is best done by Kapur (2014):
Productive failure involves two phases: a problem-solving phase followed by a consolidation (or instruction) phase... The problem- solving phase affords opportunities for students to generate and explore the affordances and constraints of multiple solutions to novel, complex problems. The consolidation phase affords opportunities for comparing and contrasting, organizing, and assembling the relevant student-generated solutions into canonical solution. (p.292)
The difference between productive failure and productive success is a subtle but an important one. The goal for productive failure is a preparation for learning from subsequent instruction. Thus, it does not matter if students do not achieve successful problem-solving performance initially. In contrast, the goal for productive success is to learn through a successful problem-solving activity itself. Because students do not know the concepts to solve these problems, the problem-solving process, unlike in productive failure, is heavily guided to achieve both problem-solving success and learning (p. 293)
Given the constraints of education budgets and testing standards, it can be difficult for teachers to integrate new approaches into their curriculum. This is especially true if these new approaches take a great deal of time, or if they take time away from material that is required by their district. The examples below have been selected because they offer solutions that take these factors into account. They should be relatively easy and inexpensive to implement, while also offering benefits over traditional instruction.
Outside The Classroom: Parents, Administrators and students need to understand the benefits of learning through failure.
Inside The Classroom: The way that teachers present material, and how students interact with that material, needs to be adjusted.
This section is focused on the adjustments that need to take place, Inside The Classroom, in order for the perception of failure to be changed.
It may be difficult, at first, to make these adjustments. No teacher wants their students to fail, and the certainly do not want to make their students uncomfortable. However, with a slight adjustment in thinking and a change in approach, teachers can integrate failure as a learning mode into their classroom in ways that support their students and prepare them for challenges in life. It has also been shown to lead to better learning outcomes (Kapur, 2014) . This is possible by utilizing Productive Failure and Productive Success approaches.
A quick summary of these two approaches is best done by Kapur (2014):
Productive failure involves two phases: a problem-solving phase followed by a consolidation (or instruction) phase... The problem- solving phase affords opportunities for students to generate and explore the affordances and constraints of multiple solutions to novel, complex problems. The consolidation phase affords opportunities for comparing and contrasting, organizing, and assembling the relevant student-generated solutions into canonical solution. (p.292)
The difference between productive failure and productive success is a subtle but an important one. The goal for productive failure is a preparation for learning from subsequent instruction. Thus, it does not matter if students do not achieve successful problem-solving performance initially. In contrast, the goal for productive success is to learn through a successful problem-solving activity itself. Because students do not know the concepts to solve these problems, the problem-solving process, unlike in productive failure, is heavily guided to achieve both problem-solving success and learning (p. 293)
Given the constraints of education budgets and testing standards, it can be difficult for teachers to integrate new approaches into their curriculum. This is especially true if these new approaches take a great deal of time, or if they take time away from material that is required by their district. The examples below have been selected because they offer solutions that take these factors into account. They should be relatively easy and inexpensive to implement, while also offering benefits over traditional instruction.
Integrate Failure as a Learning Mode In Your Classroom
Adapt your own Lessons
Without a great deal of effort, is it possible to incorporate failure into lessons you have already created. The below infographic explains a possible process for doing this. There is also a link to a Google Doc that your students can use during this activity. Since the students may be making multiple iterations of this document, google drive provides an easy an secure way to store and access their documents. Click on the below image to explore this process further.
Without a great deal of effort, is it possible to incorporate failure into lessons you have already created. The below infographic explains a possible process for doing this. There is also a link to a Google Doc that your students can use during this activity. Since the students may be making multiple iterations of this document, google drive provides an easy an secure way to store and access their documents. Click on the below image to explore this process further.
Planning Document for students to use during this process.
Activities that Challenge Students to Learn From Failure
Below are several examples of activities that allow students to fail in a positive way. These activities show that we learn through failing, and take the stigma and fear away from failing.
Below are several examples of activities that allow students to fail in a positive way. These activities show that we learn through failing, and take the stigma and fear away from failing.
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Adapt these to your own needs -
These only represent a few of the possible ways to integrate learning from failure into your classroom. While these are focused on Math, the core concepts could be translated to nearly any subject. I have illustrated a few examples from the "My favorite No video".
Examples:
English - Have students copy a sentence off the board onto a notecard, and then diagram that sentence. Then pick one that you think shows some good thinking, but is ultimately incorrect. Work through the problems with that sentence diagram with the whole class.
Science - Have students illustrate the water cycle onto a notecard. Then, pick the one that you think shows the most promise, but does not accurately depict the information. Then, as a class, go through the issues with it.
These only represent a few of the possible ways to integrate learning from failure into your classroom. While these are focused on Math, the core concepts could be translated to nearly any subject. I have illustrated a few examples from the "My favorite No video".
Examples:
English - Have students copy a sentence off the board onto a notecard, and then diagram that sentence. Then pick one that you think shows some good thinking, but is ultimately incorrect. Work through the problems with that sentence diagram with the whole class.
Science - Have students illustrate the water cycle onto a notecard. Then, pick the one that you think shows the most promise, but does not accurately depict the information. Then, as a class, go through the issues with it.
Highlight what we can learn through failure
It is useful for students to be able to see what others have been able to achieve despite, and often because of, their failures. The below videos are just a few examples of the positive impact failure can have on people, if they have a healthy attitude towards it. They also show that in many ways, failure is necessary for success. Take some time to show your students these videos in class and then have them participate in an activity based around what they have just seen.
It is useful for students to be able to see what others have been able to achieve despite, and often because of, their failures. The below videos are just a few examples of the positive impact failure can have on people, if they have a healthy attitude towards it. They also show that in many ways, failure is necessary for success. Take some time to show your students these videos in class and then have them participate in an activity based around what they have just seen.
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Possible Follow Up Activities -
Elementary Age - Ask the students to think of a time they didn't do as well as they would have liked on an activity. This could be class work, sports, or chores around the house. Then have them write, or draw, about that situation and show what they will do differently if that situation comes up again. You could also create a worksheet to help guide them through this activity.
Middle School - Ask your students to write a short essay on a time that they failed at something, and what they learned from it. When they are done, break them up into groups and have them share what these experiences were. The groups should then be asked to look for common themes throughout their essays and present them to the class.
High School/College - Ask your students to think of a failure in their own lives and create a video around it. They should also research people that they admire, find similar instances of failure, and link these to their own. The Stanford Resilience Project is a good example of how to discuss failure from both an instructor and peer angel.
Elementary Age - Ask the students to think of a time they didn't do as well as they would have liked on an activity. This could be class work, sports, or chores around the house. Then have them write, or draw, about that situation and show what they will do differently if that situation comes up again. You could also create a worksheet to help guide them through this activity.
Middle School - Ask your students to write a short essay on a time that they failed at something, and what they learned from it. When they are done, break them up into groups and have them share what these experiences were. The groups should then be asked to look for common themes throughout their essays and present them to the class.
High School/College - Ask your students to think of a failure in their own lives and create a video around it. They should also research people that they admire, find similar instances of failure, and link these to their own. The Stanford Resilience Project is a good example of how to discuss failure from both an instructor and peer angel.
TPACK
As the above video lays out, TPACK is a framework that helps ensure that the content (what is being taught), pedagogy (how it is being taught), and technology (the support piece for content and pedagogy) are all in alignment. When these areas are in alignment, students will have the best possible classroom experience and the best possible learning outcomes.
It is crucial that as you are going through these resources, and thinking of ways to integrate failure as a learning mode into your classroom, that you keep TPACK in mind.
It is crucial that as you are going through these resources, and thinking of ways to integrate failure as a learning mode into your classroom, that you keep TPACK in mind.
What does TPACK look like in practical terms?
So that you can get a better understanding of TPACK, I'll demonstrate it in regards to the section on adapting existing lessons found on this webpage.
Content: The process for integrating failure as a learning mode into already established lessons
Pedagogy: Online Instruction
Technology: Web hosted Infographic
I knew that the pedagogy for this would be online instruction, so I would not be present to provide detail and explanation. This meant that I had to make my content easy to understand and follow. In order to do this, I chose to use a piktochat infographic for my technology, as it allowed me to present my information in a easy to understand, web-based format. In this way, the three areas of TPACK work in tandem to create the best possible learning outcome.
Content: The process for integrating failure as a learning mode into already established lessons
Pedagogy: Online Instruction
Technology: Web hosted Infographic
I knew that the pedagogy for this would be online instruction, so I would not be present to provide detail and explanation. This meant that I had to make my content easy to understand and follow. In order to do this, I chose to use a piktochat infographic for my technology, as it allowed me to present my information in a easy to understand, web-based format. In this way, the three areas of TPACK work in tandem to create the best possible learning outcome.
References:
Candace M. (2013, April 26) TPACK in 2 Minutes [Video File]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FagVSQlZELY&feature=youtu.be
Kapur, M. (2016). Examining Productive Failure, Productive Success, Unproductive Failure, and Unproductive Success in Learning. Educational Psychologist, 51(2), 289-299. doi:10.1080/00461520.2016.1155457
Motivating Success. (2012, May 15) Famous Failures [Video File]. Retreived from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLYECIjmnQs&index=3&list=PLvzOwE5lWqhQaMdlA9uIB9OxPPkchIr-6
PG Bulgaria. (2014, January 7) Thank You, Mom Pick Them Back Up [Video File]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ult4t-1NoQ&feature=youtu.be
Teaching Channel. Highlighting Mistakes: A Grading Strategy [Video File]. https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/math-test-grading-tips
Teaching Channel. Learning From Mistakes: Linear Equations [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/students-learn-from-mistakes-ccssmdc
Teaching Channel. My Favorite No: Learning From Mistakes [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/class-warm-up-routine
Tedx Talks. (2015, April 6) Failure is Knowledge, Knowledge is Success [Video File]. Retreieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwnWFNoe7Pw
Candace M. (2013, April 26) TPACK in 2 Minutes [Video File]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FagVSQlZELY&feature=youtu.be
Kapur, M. (2016). Examining Productive Failure, Productive Success, Unproductive Failure, and Unproductive Success in Learning. Educational Psychologist, 51(2), 289-299. doi:10.1080/00461520.2016.1155457
Motivating Success. (2012, May 15) Famous Failures [Video File]. Retreived from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLYECIjmnQs&index=3&list=PLvzOwE5lWqhQaMdlA9uIB9OxPPkchIr-6
PG Bulgaria. (2014, January 7) Thank You, Mom Pick Them Back Up [Video File]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ult4t-1NoQ&feature=youtu.be
Teaching Channel. Highlighting Mistakes: A Grading Strategy [Video File]. https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/math-test-grading-tips
Teaching Channel. Learning From Mistakes: Linear Equations [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/students-learn-from-mistakes-ccssmdc
Teaching Channel. My Favorite No: Learning From Mistakes [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/class-warm-up-routine
Tedx Talks. (2015, April 6) Failure is Knowledge, Knowledge is Success [Video File]. Retreieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwnWFNoe7Pw