How to Avoid Errors When Learning

Metkaf describes a study where researchers vidiotaped eighth grade math rooms in various countries and compared the teaching methods. One of the comparisons made was between class rooms in the united states and those in japan. In the us, teachers typically teach by showing students the correct way to approach a particular type of problem. Students are then asked to try to solve problems first before being taught how. But this initial struggle is followed by a lot of discussion about why they might have chosen incorrect approaches or not work. It's thought that when errors are seen as failures to be avoided, there's less of an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the underlying principles involved.