Being Wrong (Sometimes): How Students’ Classroom Assessment Mistakes and Learning Errors Enhance Learning and Motivation

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

The purpose of this symposium is to present recent research and theory that shows how students’ experiences with being wrong (sometimes) on formative and summative classroom assessments facilitate student learning and motivation. Four papers are presented that represent recent efforts to capture the nature of students’ mistakes, learning errors, and misconceptions, focusing on student responses, error tolerance climate in the classroom, and teacher reactions to mistakes. The papers represent international perspectives. Overall, it is argued that being wrong, at least sometimes, is essential for effective learning and the development of positive achievement-related dispositions such as perseverance, risk-taking, self-regulation, and internal, controllable attributions. The session is structured to engage the audience in dialog and discussion.

Sub Unit

• SIG-Classroom Assessment

Chair

• Jacqueline P. Leighton, University of Alberta

Papers

• Learning From Errors in Mathematics Classrooms: Development Over Two Years in Dependence on Perceived Error Climate - Markus Dresel, Augsburg University; Gabriele Steuer, University of Augsburg

• Students' Affective Reactions and Cognitive Understanding of Classroom Mistakes and Related Feedback - Jacqueline P. Leighton, University of Alberta

• Learning From Errors in the Math Class: Associations With Students' Affective-Motivational Self-Regulation, Attributions, and Adaptive Learning Actions - Maria Tulis, University of Salzburg; Robert Grassinger, University of Augsburg; Martin Daumiller, University of Augsburg

• Classroom Climate Regarding Mistakes: A Cross-Cultural Analysis - M. Sarkar Arani, Nagoya University; Bruce W. Lander, Matsuyama University; Masanobu SAKAMOTO, Nagoya University; Shir Ley Tan, Nagoya University