Productive Failure

Design for and turn your failures into meaningful learning experiences

Written by a leading global expert on human cognition, productive failure, and learning methods, Productive Failure shows you how to design the experience of failing. Research shows that repeated experiences of intriguing, constructive failure can help students (and our own children, and anyone else we lead) develop creativity and learn more deeply. When carefully curated, failure can become a signal for learning, not the noise detracting from it. The result? Learners gain a lifelong readiness to push themselves outside of their comfort zones, using setbacks as launchpads for learning and innovation.

The evidence-based principles in this book are powerful, not only in formal schooling contexts, but also for anyone taking charge of and designing their own lifelong learning. From learning a new language or skill to setting up goals that push you past your limits, this book unpacks the science of Productive Failure and describes design principles—and specific strategies built upon them—that let you harness Productive Failure for your own benefit.

• Learn and understand the science of failure
• Apply the research-based Productive Failure framework in classrooms, teams, groups, and organizational settings
• Learn techniques like retrieval practice, generative problem-solving, motivational hacking, culture building, and so on to deepen learning experiences
• Reach new levels of critical thinking, innovation, and success by making failure the norm, not the exception, and learning how to cope with it

This fascinating and actionable book is a must for educators, parents, managers, leaders, and anyone who needs to help others (or themselves) learn how to learn.

MANU KAPUR developed the theory of Productive Failure and applies it in classrooms and workplaces around the world to transform learning and growth. He is a Professor of Learning Sciences and Higher Education at ETH Zurich, Switzerland, and has spent the past two decades understanding the science of how people learn. His research has attracted substantial funding and media interest around the world, making him a sought-after keynote speaker, including two TEDx Talks. Manu has held prestigious visiting professorships and advisory roles globally, and his contributions extend across not only high-profile journals and conferences, but also impact educational policies and practices internationally. For more:

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