Learning from errors: students' and instructors' practices, attitudes, and beliefs.

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Errors can hinder performance in some educational settings, like assessments.
• Conversely, generating errors can create valuable learning opportunities, enhancing memory for correct information.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate undergraduate students' and instructors' awareness of the pedagogical benefits of error generation.
• To explore related practices, attitudes, and beliefs concerning errors in learning.

Main Methods:

• Two surveys were conducted at three large public universities in North America.
• Participants included undergraduate students and instructors.
• Survey topics covered error incorporation in learning, opinions on studying errors, and feedback approaches.

Main Results:

• Many students avoided generating errors during learning but analyzed them when they occurred.
• Instructors generally welcomed errors but differed in providing resources for errorful generation.
• A prevalent ambivalent attitude towards errors was observed: avoidance in generation, but prioritization in learning.

Conclusions:

• Findings highlight an ambivalent approach to errors in higher education.
• Implications exist for implementing error-focused learning strategies such as pretesting and productive failure.
• Educational practices may need adjustment to leverage the learning potential of errors effectively.