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Failing 15% of the time leads to a faster and more effective way of learning, researchers claim.
According to researchers from the University of Arizona, an 85% accuracy rate is ideal to learn efficiently. They said tasks that always result in 100% accuracy leave no room for people to learn new things.
The team found the optimal level of learning after conducting a series of experiments on computers. The computers were given tasks with varying levels of difficulty, such as categorizing patterns, numbers, and photographs. Results showed that the computers learned the fastest at a level that was neither too easy nor too difficult, or when they completed the task correctly 85% of the time.
The findings led to the proposal of the 85% Rule for Optimal Learning, a standard in which the difficulty of tasks is adjusted for learners to attain an 85% accuracy rate in order to maximize learning.
The researchers believe that the findings also apply to humans. Previous researches have proven that people learn best and are most engaged when a task is neither too easy that they get bored nor too complex that they become disheartened. Finding a middle ground for the level of difficulty, like the 85% Rule, allows individuals to get the most information from both success and failure.
Despite the accuracy rate that the study recommends, the researchers do not suggest that individuals, especially students, aim for just 85%. Rather, the researchers advise that educators and parents reduce the pressure they put on children to achieve perfection. Doing so would allow individuals to take more risks and increase motivation and learning.