trial-and-error learning

noun

UK /ˌtraɪəl ən ˈerə ˈlɜːnɪŋ/

US /ˌtraɪəl ən ˈerər ˈlɜːrnɪŋ/

Learning by trying things and fixing mistakes until you get it right.

She learned to ride her bike through trial-and-error learning, falling a few times before she got the hang of it.

SYNONYMS

learning by doing experimentation trial and error practice-based learning discovery learning

RELATED WORDS

feedback mistake practice experiment adaptation

OTHER MEANINGS

2. A problem-solving method where many attempts are made until one succeeds.

The engineers used trial-and-error learning to find the right setting for the machine.

3. In psychology, a learning process where behaviors that lead to success are repeated and errors are dropped.

Thorndike studied trial-and-error learning with cats in puzzle boxes.

4. A hands-on way of gaining skill by testing ideas and learning from what fails.

Cooking without a recipe is a kind of trial-and-error learning.