The benefits of errors during training

Errors are generally not thought of as a positive thing – not in society at large, and especially not in forensic science. However, there is a large body of literature in the field of cognitive science (particularly from psychology and education research) that highlights the benefits that can be gained from using errors made in training to improve learning. Although none of these studies was done directly in the forensic science disciplines, there are nonetheless lessons to be learned about how errors may most effectively be used to maximize their benefits to learning. This article presents an overview of the literature on learning from errors and suggests principles that may be of benefit to forensic science today, as well as suggesting areas where specific research may be of benefit to forensic science in the future.