This is the simplest problem-solving plan. In trial and error
learning, you simply choose a likely way of solving a problem, try it out,
and see if it works. If it doesn’t work you can try another way.
Edison used the trial and error method to make an effective filament
for lightbulbs by trying out thousands of different possibilities until he discovered one that worked. He used this
method because he did not have enough information about the problem to narrow down a solution.
Children use the method of tiral and error differently at differnt stages
in their development. There are three main changes:
-
2-3 year olds choose successive things to try that are in no particular order
-
At about the age of 12, children work systematically through coherent sequences
of possibilities.
-
Older children have a more sophisticated stategy and focus more on the methods
they try
