Approaching Failure

Why?“We stigmatise mistakes, we are running an education system where

mistakes are seen as the worst thing you can make. Most kids by the

time they get to adulthood are frightened of being wrong”

―Sir Ken Robinson (Educationalist)

“Failure – the ‘F’ word – has been stigmatised. In education failure is seen as something negative, an action that undermines pupil self

confidence, and therefore to be avoided where possible.”

―Ed Elliot (Head teacher, The Perse School)

Action Research Title

Investigation into a range of strategies to enhance how Year 10 Students Perceive the Role of

‘Mistakes’ in GCSE Product Design

“the art of success is to fail productively.”- Tim Hartford

“Fail fast, fail often.”- IDEO (design consultancy)

Relevant Literature

• Growth mind set, Dweck, (2013)• Perfectionism, Schuler, (2000). • Hindsight, Fischhoff, (2003). • Design process that requires openness

to being wrong, reflecting on potential mistakes. Norman, 2013

Openness to being wrong

Ontological Perspective

Human nature as incomplete, unfinished which evokes epistemological curiosity (Freire, 1998, p. 55)

•Being curious about what will happen•Being curious about what is happening•Being curious about what has happened

Similarity mistake – This is when a product is confused with other similar products or features and you don’t know how to use the product correctly.

Rule-based mistakes – This is when you believe you are performing the correct sequence of actions but you are using something in the wrong way.

Knowledge-seeking mistake – This is when the user does not know how the product works (for the first time, or has forgotten). Therefore trial and error is used to work out what to do.

Strategy: Subject knowledge

Strategy: Iterative making task

Positive psychological mind-set for designers

Do not blame people when they fail Provide guidance not criticism Think positively for yourself and other people Peoples difficulties with a product show how

to improve it Correct your mistakes, don’t change your idea Assume what people do or say is partially

correct

Strategy: Positive attitude

Data Analysis

More open to addressing their mistakes rather than avoiding them.

Try using the language of potential when approaching failure/mistakes

• what if this was wrong?

• what would happen if this failed?

Iterative Findings

Students feel more isolated in a class than was first realised, and positive mind-set helps students become more relaxed discussing mistakes.

Positive psychological mind-set for designers

Do not blame people when they fail Provide guidance not criticism Think positively for yourself and other people Peoples difficulties with a product show how to

improve it Correct your mistakes, don’t change your idea Assume what people do or say is partially

correct

Positive Findings

Further Findings

Name level Perceptions of Mistakes/Failure Ways interventions helped/failed

Saskia H Exaggerated reactions such as destroying work for small errorLow emotions when not knowing

Not downhearted if things had to be done againKnowing the aim is to find problems, not produce something perfect straight away.

James L - Vun

Denies mistakesVery defensive with peers and teacherWants to get it right first timeRequires positives

Observing how others act positively helped him engage in a similar manner. Difficulty finding problems with work when others are present

Patryk H G&T

Very sensitive to criticismSees a learning experienceEmbarrassed when expected to be right

Developed design one stage at a time based on trial and error with others.Addressed mistakes found by trusted friends only.

• Student perceptions of mistakes and failure are hugely varied and individual.

• Students with High ability levels are more sensitive to being wrong/mistakes/failure

Suggestions

Probing what they expect of others when discussing mistakes/failure

Iterative tasks invested solution

Try using the language of potential when approaching failure/mistakes

• what if this was wrong?

• what would happen if this failed?

• Dweck, C.S., 2013. Self-theories: Their Role in Motivation, Personality, and Development. Psychology Press.

• Fischhoff, B. (2003). Hindsight? Foresight: the effect of outcome knowledge on judgment under uncertainty. Quality & Safety in Health Care, 12(4), 304–312. doi:10.1136/qhc.12.4.304

• Freire, P., 1998. Pedagogy of freedom: ethics, democracy, and civic courage. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Lanham.

• Harford, T. (2012). Adapt: Why Success Always Starts with Failure. London: Abacus.

• Norman, D.A., 2013. The design of everyday things.• Schuler, P. A. (2000). Perfectionism and gifted adolescents.

Prufrock Journal, 11(4), 183–196. doi:10.4219/jsge-2000-629

References