Fabrication in Learning

Doug MacCorkindale uses an unusual technique to create interest and motivation in his technology classes at Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute in Toronto. "I lie to them," he says seriously. "I hide a miscalculation or an outright falsehood in the middle of an explanation. "If the students are paying attention and really thinking, they'll catch the mistake," he says. They will also learn the material more thoroughly than if he had just handed it to them. "It's a bit of a game," he chuckles. "I challenge them to challenge me, catch my deliberate mistakes and then prove me wrong."