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From error to insight: The role of mistakes in learning

Best Practices, Resources, Teaching, Tips

What if failure wasn’t the opposite of success but a necessary step toward it? In education, we often talk about growth, but we don’t always make room for the very thing that fuels it: mistakes.

We need to create more space for mistakes in the classroom. Learning can be messy—it can be difficult to realize we don’t know something or that we’ve messed up. Whether it’s not knowing where to start, mispronouncing a name, misunderstanding someone’s identity, misapplying a formula, or forgetting important terminology, mistakes are a natural—and necessary—part of the learning process. Even though it can feel uncomfortable or even embarrassing, making mistakes can give us opportunities for growth. When we make mistakes—or witness others navigating theirs—we open ourselves up to learning, gain new insights, and deepen our understanding. 

Acknowledging mistakes and reflecting on them offers students a chance to actively engage in the learning process and identify areas where they struggle.

If we shift our grading systems away from traditional methods and focus more on allowing students to make mistakes, students are more likely to learn from those experiences rather than strive for perfection just to earn a good grade. Struggling actually encourages long term retention because we have to think critically about what we’re learning. This approach has other benefits too. For example, being corrected after mispronouncing someone’s name might feel uncomfortable, but it’s an effective way to ensure we don’t make the same mistake again. Acknowledging mistakes and reflecting on them offers students a chance to actively engage in the learning process and identify areas where they struggle. This reflection, whether done individually or with faculty support, provides an opportunity to focus on areas that need improvement, guiding more effective study and tutoring sessions and encouraging students to pay more attention to details. 

Ways to make room for mistakes in your classroom 

Establish a shared understanding for mistake response. It’s not uncommon that someone will forget another person’s name or pronouns, make an assumption about another person, or say something that is unintentionally hurtful. Collaboratively create community agreements so that all students have a voice in deciding how the class responds to harm and mistakes. Introduce a system such as the Ouch and Oops protocol (consider including Woah as well) to provide a common language for acknowledging mistakes—especially microaggressions—in a respectful and constructive way. 

Destigmatize mistakes when learning. Building opportunities for corrective work—like retaking tests and quizzes, revising and resubmitting a paper, or adding to improve project after an initial grade—can help students see learning as a process and accept that mistakes are normal. This puts less pressure on students to be perfect, demonstrating that learning is a challenging process. This is especially helpful underprepared students struggling with the course content or assessment standards. 

Use asset-based grading. Non-traditional grading methods—like ungrading—can help shift the focus from accumulating points and highlighting errors to emphasizing growth and learning. These methods encourage students to use formative feedback, reflect on their progress, and continuously demonstrate their understanding. 

Practice failure recovery. Even in classes where the coursework encourages desirable difficulties, students may fail assessments. Engaging the FLEX plan can help students learn how to respond to failure with regulated emotions, self-awareness, and resilience. 

Normalize acknowledging mistakes. Regardless of the nature of the mistake, acknowledging our mistakes as well as seeking help when needed, is a valuable skill that benefits everyone in the classroom and beyond. Fostering an environment where everyone feels admitting their mistakes and taking responsibility for them, helps students understand that asking for help—no matter how challenging it may feel—plays a crucial role in both learning and success.                                         

CITL Resources 

Additional Resources 

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