PUB 303: Reframing Failure

Weekly Discussion Board and Participation

25%

Weekly Assignments

15%

Failure Resume - Unlike a traditional CV of accomplishments, here students are asked to outline and unpack projects that did not come to fruition in a similar fashion. This CV should be annotated with explanations of failures for each major project.

20%

Exhibition of Errors - Each College Unbound student presents a public exhibition of their project development every 8 weeks. Upon completion of this course, students are asked to present an outline of future possible shortcomings of their project.

20%

Failure Interview - Students must conduct at least one interview of a colleagues failure. (45 minutes)

10%

Portfolio Updates - Every 2 weeks students are asked to submit updates of their Action Research Project. (2 pages every 2 weeks)

10%

Total

1

1

Remembering Failure

• Overview:
• During the first weeks of the course, you and your Academic Liaison are expected to hold a conference call with each member of your Learning Team to share your project's evolution and the Student Learning Outcomes of this course. By the 3rd Monday Seminar you are expected to come with a Research and Reading List that furthers your project within the goals of your project. By the end of Week 3, your Academic Liaison will clear your semester plan with the Faculty of Record for this course.
• Readings from Textbooks:
• None
• Additional Readings:
• Edmondson, Amy C. "Strategies for Learning from Failure." Harvard Business Review. N.p., Apr. 2011.
• TED Talks: Eight Talks About Learning from Failure
• JK Rowling: The fringe benefits of failure
• Kathryn Schulz: Don’t regret regret
• Sim Sitkin’s Learning Through Failures -The Strategy of Small Losses. Journal of Research is Organizational Behavior
• Richard St. John: “Success is a continuous journey”
• Paul Tough's NYTimes Article "What if the Secret to Success is Failure" Sept 14, 2011

• Read assigned material
• Participate in Discussion Boards
• Submit course content notes
• Submit reflective short essay
• Set up meeting with your Academic Liaison and Learning Team

2

3,5

Learning from Failure, Part 1

• Overview:
• During the first weeks of the course, you and your Academic Liaison are expected to hold a conference call with each member of your Learning Team to share your project's evolution and the Student Learning Outcomes of this course. By the 3rd Monday Seminar you are expected to come with a Research and Reading List that furthers your project within the goals of your project. By the end of Week 3, your Academic Liaison will clear your semester plan with the Faculty of Record for this course.
• Readings from Textbooks:
• The Rise - The Riddle (pages 1-60)
• Additional Readings:
• TED Talks: Eight Talks About Learning from Failure
• Tim Harford: Trial, error and the God complex
• Diana Laufenberg: How to learn from mistakes

• Read assigned material
• Participate in Discussion Boards
• Submit course content notes
• Submit reflective short essay
• Continue working on the Research and Reading List that furthers your project within the goals of your project.

3

2

Learning from Failure, Part 2

• Overview:
• During the first weeks of the course, you and your Academic Liaison are expected to hold a conference call with each member of your Learning Team to share your project's evolution and the Student Learning Outcomes of this course. By the 3rd Monday Seminar you are expected to come with a Research and Reading List that furthers your project within the goals of your project. By the end of Week 3, your Academic Liaison will clear your semester plan with the Faculty of Record for this course.
• Readings from Textbooks:
• The Rise - The Crucible (pages 60-118), Chapter 8
• Additional Readings:
• TED Talks: Eight Talks About Learning from Failure
• Michael Litt: Why you need to fail to have a good career
• Kathryn Schulz's On Being Wrong
• David Stork's talk How To Ask Good Questions

• Read assigned material
• Participate in Discussion Boards
• Submit course content notes
• Submit Research and Reading List
• Submit Interview Preparation

4

4

Sharing Failure

• Readings from Textbooks:
• The Rise - The Gift (pages 119-195)

• Read assigned material
• Participate in Discussion Boards
• Submit course content notes
• Submit Interview Log and Brief Transcription
• Midterm Exam - Skype or Meeting with Professor

5

1,4

Evidence of Failure

• Readings from Textbooks:
• Bird by Bird - Introduction (xi-xxxi) & Getting Started (pages 3-20)

• Read assigned material
• Participate in Discussion Boards
• Submit course content notes
• Submit Resume of Failures
• Provide peer feedback for Research and Research Lists (Discussion Board)

6

3,5

Failure and Mindset

• Readings from Textbooks:
• Bird by Bird - Finding your Voice (pages 195-201), Giving (pages 202-207) & The Last Class (pages 225-237)

• Read assigned material
• Review lecture material
• Participate in Discussion Boards
• Submit progress report for Peer Review & Reflection
• Submit Peer Follow Up and Feedback on Research

7

1

Failure as Framework

• Readings from Textbooks:
• The Queer Art of Failure (pages 88-121)

• Read assigned material
• Participate in Discussion Boards
• Submit course content notes
• Submit reflective short essay
• Prepare for Exhibition of Errors

8

1,6

Documenting Failure

• Readings from Textbooks:
• None
• Additional Readings:
• Le Feuvre, Lisa. "Art Failure." Art Monthly 313.Feb (08): 5-8.
• Le Feuvre, Lisa. 2010. If at First you Don't Succeed...Tate etc(18, Sp), pp. 30-37. [Article]: Goldsmiths Research

• Read assigned material
• Participate in Discussion Boards
• Submit reflective short essay
• Record and Submit your Public Exhibition
• Complete course evaluation