Abstract
The term "failure" is typically regarded as an unfavourable and inauspicious concept by the majority of individuals, whereas the phrase "learning from failure" connotes a positive stance and outlook. An investigation into the ways in which engineering students can effectively learn from failure is the key focus of this study. To commence the study, a thorough analysis of existing literature pertaining to "learning from failure" in the domain of education research was carried out. Subsequently, the study adopted a pedagogical perspective and concentrated on a two-day robotics competition (RoboRoarZ-Edition 2) at a Singaporean university by undertaking on-site observations to identify the various forms of failure experienced by engineering students, as well as the strategies employed by instructors to tackle the difficulties encountered. The present study reveals several key findings that pertain to how specifically engineering students learn from failure. Firstly, instructors incorporated the concept of 'intentional failure' in the robot assembly and coding process carried out in the classroom. Secondly, students experienced 'incidental failure' during the robot assembly phase. Thirdly, 'iterative failure' was encountered while coding and during the competition phases. Fourthly, the robot itself is a complex system, comprising both hardware and software components, and faced 'integrative failure'. Meanwhile, the instructor ensured that students were encouraged to fail in a safe environment and learn from their failures, while fostering a positive atmosphere that celebrates failure. The implications of this study include a summary of existing literature on failure, a typology of failure in the specific engineering context for solving complex problems, and a reference for how educators and organizers of future robotics competitions can apply the different types of failure to enhance learning outcomes.