ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines the dynamic of students' performance on assessments in school, and being wrong in answering questions. Being wrong (sometimes) is described as a necessary element of schooling that promotes decision making that enhances, and indeed is essential for, effective learning and motivation. It reviews and summarizes research and theory that establish the foundation for why being wrong is good, and how it has a positive influence on learning and motivation. The book focuses in greater detail on how students respond to being wrong—affectively, cognitively, and behaviorally. It is important to understand these responses to know how to design appropriate assessment processes and provide feedback. The book examines the assessment environment in the classroom, as related to being wrong, as a first consideration in effectively addressing how to promote, in a productive way, the idea of being wrong.
