Making People Fail: Failing to Learning in Games and Making
Document Type
Conference Paper
Journal/Book Title/Conference
Games+Learning+Society Conference
Publisher
ETC Press
Location
Madison, WI
Publication Date
6-10-2014
First Page
160
Last Page
166
Abstract
In traditional formal learning environments, students typically have two options: succeed or fail. Though there may be real world merit to this type high-stakes system, we suggest that there is more to learning than a simple dichotomous outcome. In this paper, we leverage two areas of educational reform, games and making, to demonstrate a need to broaden our definition of failure and reconceptualize it as an integral part of the learning process. Rather than stigmatizing failure as a detrimental endpoint to learning, we discuss how these domains (games and making) expect and design for failure as part of the mastery process. We offer implications for learning and assessment with the hope of sparking a conversation among policymakers, educators, and designers of learning environments.
Recommended Citation
Litts, B. K. & Ramirez, D. (2014). Making people fail: Failing to learning in games and making. In A. Ochsner, J. Deitmeier, C. Willaims, & C. Steinkuehler (Eds), Proceedings of the tenth annual Games+Learning+Society Conference (160-166). ETC Press: Pittsburgh, PA.
