1. Approaching Failure

2. 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)

3. - IDEO (design consultancy)
Action Research Title
Investigation into a range of strategies to enhance how Year 10 Students Perceive the Role of ‘Mistakes’ in GCSE Product Design
“Fail fast, fail often.”
- IDEO (design consultancy)
“the art of success is to fail productively.”
- Tim Hartford

4. 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

5. Openness to being wrong

6. 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

7. Strategy: Subject knowledge
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.

8. Strategy: Iterative making task

9. Strategy: Positive attitude
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

10. Data Analysis

11. Iterative Findings
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?

12. Positive psychological mind-set for designers
Positive 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

13. Perceptions of Mistakes/Failure Ways interventions helped/failed
Further Findings
Student perceptions of mistakes and failure are hugely varied and individual.
Students with High ability levels are more sensitive to being wrong/mistakes/failure
Name
level
Perceptions of Mistakes/Failure
Ways interventions helped/failed
Saskia H
Exaggerated reactions such as destroying work for small error
Low emotions when not knowing
Not downhearted if things had to be done again
Knowing the aim is to find problems, not produce something perfect straight away.
James
L - Vun
Denies mistakes
Very defensive with peers and teacher
Wants to get it right first time
Requires positives
Observing how others act positively helped him engage in a similar manner.
Difficulty finding problems with work when others are present
Patryk
G&T
Very sensitive to criticism
Sees a learning experience
Embarrassed 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.

14. 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?

15. References
Dweck, C.S., 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: /qhc
Freire, P., 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., The design of everyday things.
Schuler, P. A. (2000). Perfectionism and gifted adolescents. Prufrock Journal, 11(4), 183–196. doi: /jsge