Fejlbaseret

Fejlbaseret is a Danish adjective meaning based on errors. It describes approaches, methods, or analyses that use errors as a central source of information for learning, improvement, or design. The term is often encountered in educational and organizational contexts.

In education, the concept is closely linked to fejllbaseret læring (error-based learning). This approach treats students’ mistakes as essential data rather than failures to be punished. Teachers collect and classify errors to identify misconceptions and gaps in the learners’ mental models, then provide targeted explanations, feedback, and practice. The aim is to guide learners from incorrect to correct understanding through iterative tasks, reflection, and scaffolding. Critics caution that focusing too strongly on errors can undermine confidence if not accompanied by constructive support.

Beyond teaching, feilbaseret methods can apply to research, quality assurance, and software development, where analyzing error data informs improvements. Typical steps include logging errors, diagnosing root causes, implementing design or process changes, and monitoring results to prevent recurrence. The overall goal is to reduce the occurrence and impact of mistakes by learning systematically from them rather than addressing issues one by one.

Origin and usage: the term is formed from the Danish words fejl (error) and baseret (based). It is used to label approaches that structure work around errors or use error information as the basis for decisions and interventions. Related concepts include fejlanalyse (error analysis) and fejlforebyggelse (error prevention).