{"id":1947,"date":"2024-06-10T13:09:18","date_gmt":"2024-06-10T12:09:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/learning-design\/?p=1947"},"modified":"2024-06-10T15:32:05","modified_gmt":"2024-06-10T14:32:05","slug":"fabulous-formative-failure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/learning-design\/?p=1947","title":{"rendered":"Fabulous formative failure"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><em>Michael Collins <\/em>\u00a0<em>~ Senior Learning Designer<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Last July I had the privilege of attending the <a href=\"https:\/\/playfullearningassoc.co.uk\/conference\/\" >Playful Learning 2023 conference<\/a> for the second time, once more bearing a bulging bag of microphones and a question. Previously <a href=\"https:\/\/www.durham.ac.uk\/staff\/mark-childs\/\" >Dr Mark Childs<\/a> and I asked attendees about their favourite games, what they loved about them \u2013 and how that love influenced their teaching practice. This time, we wanted to go to a place oft visited, but rarely discussed \u2013 failure. Specifically, fabulous formative failure.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Coaxing attendees to record at our booth we asked:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">What (specific example) has been your most fabulous formative failure?\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">What did you learn from it?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Where do you think failure sits in learning through play, and learning in general?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Throughout the conference, we were joined by a host of amazing educators and professionals, who bravely took the plunge and candidly shared a host of intimidating, hilarious and cautionary fluffs, muck-ups and gaffes.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">You can find the whole miniseries on the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pedagodzilla.com\/category\/playful-learning-2023\/\" ><span data-contrast=\"none\">Pedagodzilla on Tour feed<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, which includes daily recaps and reflections of the conference itself, and our alternative interview question on the Danish movement, Pissed\u00e5rlig undervisning.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Ironically, I failed in getting the recordings edited and published in a timely manner, but now that they are out in the world I thought it would be a good time to take stock, and see what lessons we learned about failure, and how we can apply them in our own teaching practice.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Make space for failure: <\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In our theme&#8217;s opening episode, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pedagodzilla.com\/playful-learning-2023-introducing-fabulous-formative-failure-with-professor-nic-whitton\/\" ><span data-contrast=\"none\">Nic Whitton acquainted us with &#8216;The Magic Circle&#8217;<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, a safe, socially constructed space where individuals can play, experiment, and fail without fear. Within this circle, failure is recast in a positive light as a facet of play, cultivating an environment conducive to learning from failures. By establishing a secure space for play and experimentation and welcoming individuals into it, we nurture this dynamic.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Develop resilience and reflection: <\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Even when cast in a positive light, failure can be a bitter pill to swallow. It demands resilience to surmount and progress to the ensuing, crucial phase \u2013 reflecting on the failure and distilling its lessons. Assisting learners in honing their metacognitive skills through reflective practices and frameworks, and bolstering their resilience, are essential steps in this journey.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Balancing failure with positive reinforcement:<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">If failure is met with punishment rather than positive reinforcement, it nudges learners towards a path of caution. Scrutinise the incentives within your teaching environment and ponder how they might direct behaviour if you were a student.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Failure is transient:<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Even when given a safe space and the right incentives, failing doesn\u2019t feel great \u2013 infact it can often feel pretty horrible and exposing. Something to remind yourself and your learners of is that failure is transient. Linking to the next point\u2026\u00a0 <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Empathy:\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Fostering a culture where we are more forgiving of each other&#8217;s failures can facilitate being kinder to ourselves. By cultivating an open, empathetic culture within our own &#8216;magic circles&#8217;, we exemplify this ethos.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Failure is both inevitable and essential in playful learning and practice: <\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The common theme in the conversations was the acknowledgment that failure is a cornerstone of playful learning and practice, and has been a positive stepping stone for some of the UK\u2019s top education professionals.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h5>The <span data-contrast=\"auto\">experiential learning cycle<\/span><\/h5>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Folk familiar with Kolb\u2019s experiential learning cycle will know the importance of having (concrete) experiences to start with. It doesn\u2019t matter if they\u2019re successes or failures \u2013 only that you reflect, learn and experiment with them afterwards.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It often feels like the education landscape we find ourselves in, where a failed exam can curtail a study journey and show up as a red mark against an institution, is incompatible with a playful approach to failure. Perhaps the first step to moving to a place where we can accept failure at scale is to start discussing it more within individual practice.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Personally, moving forwards in my practice I\u2019ll be looking for ways to be more open and accepting of failures, and that of those around me. In the first instance, I forgive myself for taking so darned long to get the episodes edited. Reflecting back, I know that if I promise to get 16 hours of recordings edited and published, and an associated blog post written, I need to be more realistic with my time \u2013 and reach out for help sooner (thanks so much Mark Childs for doing the editing on those episodes, you saved my bacon). Next time, an adjustment to the recording format and a bit more earmarked time for editing should smooth that over nicely.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\"> Lesson learned.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Next time, I reckon I\u2019ll do better. And if I don\u2019t, that\u2019s fine \u2013 as long as I learn as I go.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>If you&#8217;d like to know more, get in touch with the OU Learning Design team at ouldsocial@open.ac.uk.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><em>Banner image: via Canva \/ stacey_newman<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Michael Collins \u00a0~ Senior Learning Designer Last July I had the privilege of attending the Playful Learning 2023 conference for the second time, once more bearing a bulging bag of microphones and a question. Previously Dr Mark Childs and I asked attendees about their favourite games, what they loved about them \u2013 and how that [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":1949,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,35,301,159],"tags":[88,302,306,315,316,311,304,312,318,305,317,303,308,161,307,310,71,72,314,313,309],"class_list":["post-1947","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-learning-design","category-ld-under-the-hood","category-playful-learning","category-podcasts","tag-conference","tag-dr-mark-childs","tag-educators","tag-empathy","tag-experiential-learning-cycle","tag-experiment","tag-fabulous-formative-failure","tag-fail-without-fear","tag-good-practice","tag-higher-ed","tag-kolb","tag-mike-collins","tag-nic-whitton","tag-pedagodzilla","tag-pedagodzilla-on-tour","tag-play","tag-playful-learning","tag-podcast","tag-positive-reinforcement","tag-resilience","tag-the-magic-circle"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/learning-design\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1947","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/learning-design\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/learning-design\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/learning-design\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/learning-design\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1947"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/learning-design\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1947\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1958,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/learning-design\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1947\/revisions\/1958"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/learning-design\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1949"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/learning-design\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1947"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/learning-design\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1947"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/learning-design\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1947"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}