Edward Burger

Effective Failure

President Emeritus Burger on Education, Creativity and the Power of Failure

Southwestern University President Edward B. Burger has revolutionized thinking on higher education with his idea that students should be encouraged to fail in order to learn – and graded on how well they fail. Read some of his writings and watch some of the interviews he has given about his award-winning book, The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking.

Review of The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking (July 17, 2013) on the Farnam Street blog

“Provoking Thought Through a New Year’s Opportunity: 5 Resolutions for 2013,” (Nov. 26, 2012), Op-ed piece published in the Huffington Post

WNYT-TV (October 6, 2012) NBC NewsChannel 13, interview on “The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking”

The Chronicle of Higher Education (September 5, 2012), article “The Importance of Undisciplined Thinking”

Toronto’s The Globe and Mail (September 1, 2012), profile “Star math teacher applies the power of failure, squared”

Inside Higher Education (August 21, 2012), article “Teaching to Fail”

BigThink (August 14, 2012), video interview in their “Experts Series”

Microsoft’s Daily Edventure (August 9, 2012), profile as a “Global Hero in Education”

The Baylor Lariat (January 18, 2012), story “Secondary majors allow students to mix and match coursework”

Chronicle of Higher Education (October 4, 2010), profile “Teaching Math as Narrative Drama”

Baylor Arts and Science Magazine (Fall 2010), story “Disciple of Creativity”

Williams Alumni Review (September 2010), story “The Gaudino Option: Enabling students to enroll in courses they really want to take—but that seem risky”

TC Palm, Scripps Newspaper (April 19, 2010), commentary “Everyone’s Creative” by Fay Vincent, Former Commissioner of Major League Baseball

Williams Record (March 17, 2010), Op-ed piece on the Gaudino option initiative by the Williams Record EditorialBoard

Williams Alumni Review (March 2009), cover story “Failing to Learn” (Cover art: What I Didn’t See (2008), ink on paper by E. Burger)

The 2008 “Failing to Succeed” Alumni Dialogue Series (on video)