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: [...]

Foreword xiii

Introduction: My Forays into Failure 1

Soccer Dreams 2

Struggling Through My Engineering Studies 3

Into the Classroom 5

Venturing into Academia 6

Finding the Cause and Its Solution 8

Connecting the Dots 10

Part I The Problem and Its Solution 13

Chapter 1 The Problems of Learning 17

Failing to Remember 19

Failing to Understand 22

Failing to Transfer 27

Chapter 2 The Solution: Productive Failure 35

Direct Instruction vs. Discovery Learning 37

Searching for a Problem 38

Designing for Failure 41

The Ideas of a Novice 43

Turning Direct Instruction on Its Head 47

Setting Up the Experiment 48

The Battle: Productive Failure vs. Direct Instruction 52

Part II The Science of Failure 59

Chapter 3 Activation 63

The Activation Spectrum 66

Failure-based Activation 69

Why Does Failed Generation Work? 77

Chapter 4 Awareness 91

From Socratic Dialogue to Tutoring 93

Intentionally Designing Impasses 94

When Intuition Failure Builds Awareness 97

Humbled By a Six Year Old 101

The Warmth Above the Clouds 104

In Awe of Awe 106

Chapter 5 Affect 109

The Zeigarnik Effect 110

The Need for Closure 113

Situational Interest and Curiosity 117

Mastery Orientation 127

Emotional Rollercoaster 131

Chapter 6 Assembly 139

Identify the Lego Blocks 141

Assemble the Lego Blocks 145

The Danger of Learning the Wrong Things Is. 159

Part III Designing for Productive Failure 165

Chapter 7 Designing for Others 167

Designing the Task 169

Designing the Participation 174

Designing the Social Surround 178

Iterate and Calibrate 181

Chapter 8 Designing for Self 185

Entering the Zone 185

Harnessing the Productive Failure Design Principles 187

Conclusion 205

References 211

Acknowledgments 221

About the Author 223

Index 225