Why are we, and our students, so distressed by their mistakes? Brown, Roediger, and McDaniel (2014) attribute education’s fixation with correctness to B.F. Skinner, who—convinced that mistakes result from poor instruction– advocated “errorless learning” methods.

We’ve probably all heard this plaint: “I studied so hard for the test. And I still got a C! How is that possible?”

One explanation is a phenomenon known as the “fluency illusion” or “illusion of comprehension” – an illusion that we may unwittingly perpetuate. “Students are afflicted with this malady on a regular basis for some good reasons,” explains Marilla Svinicki (2004).

All too often, students take a midterm (or a final exam), check their scores, and then start forgetting the material. The class moves forward; students who haven’t yet mastered the important concepts rarely go back to identify their weaknesses, but end up building on increasingly shaky foundations.

The deadline to order textbooks for spring is October 16. It’s tough to think ahead to next semester when it’s barely midterm, but the best time to reflect on your goals for your students is before you choose a text.

All too often, we let a textbook or list of readings determine the content or structure of a course. And why not?