THE RESEARCH IS IN The Mistake Imperative—Why We Must Get Over Our Fear of Student Error The fear of making mistakes is often paralyzing, but cognitive science suggests that errors are part of the fundamental machinery of learning. By Youki Terada November 19, 2020 When Disneyland opened in 1955, it was a disaster. Although 15,000 visitors were expected, nearly twice as many descended upon the park, thanks to thousands of counterfeit tickets. Guests were plagued by long lines, malfunctioning rides, and a shortage of food. To top it all off, a tiger and a panther escaped from the circus, terrifying children and parents on Disney’s suddenly family-unfriendly Main Street. The day having been dubbed “ Black Sunday ” by his employees, Walt Disney took it all in stride. “If you do big things, you make big mistakes,” he told reporters. For Disney, creativity and mistakes went hand in hand. As the founder of a company that offered fantasy as its core product, he encouraged his team of enginee