Item: MISTAKE-BASED LEARNING ACROSS HIGH-RISK DISCIPLINES: AN AVALANCHE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK
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Title: MISTAKE-BASED LEARNING ACROSS HIGH-RISK DISCIPLINES: AN AVALANCHE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK
Proceedings: Proceedings, International Snow Science Workshop, Whistler, BC, Canada, 2026
Authors:
- J. Aaron Ball [ Fort Lewis College, Durango, CO, USA ] [ University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA ]
Date: 2026-09-28
Abstract: Snow avalanche professionals operate in wicked learning environments, where mistakes are inevitable due to feedback that is absent, inconsistent, or difficult to interpret. Mistakes in avalanche terrain can have catastrophic consequences, yet they are also vital for learning. This presents a fundamental challenge to effectively and safely develop the sensemaking and judgment practitioners need to operate in this high-risk, naturalistic work environment. Other disciplines grappling with this same problem can offer insights into how the learning value of mistakes can be leveraged without causing unacceptable harm. This presentation reports findings from an integrative literature review synthesizing nine articles from military and medical communities of practice. Thematic analysis identified six mistake-based learning strategies and five associated instructional methods, though their application was not uniform across all learning settings. Instead, they were employed in different learning contexts defined by the severity of potential consequences and the degree of learner independence. Three learning contexts were identified: controlled learning environments, supervised practice, and high-stakes operations. These contexts reflect a spectrum of learning conditions, from structured training environments where consequences are controlled and supervision is intensive, to everyday workplace settings where the full range of consequences is possible and supervision is limited or absent. While novices are more often found at one end of this spectrum and experienced practitioners at the other, the contexts are defined by conditions rather than experience level. A first-year novice and a twenty-year veteran operating in the same high-stakes environment have access to the same learning strategies and methods. From these findings, a framework was constructed that maps the identified learning strategies and methods to the three learning contexts, offering avalanche practitioners, trainers, and organizations a practical, context-aware tool for turning inevitable mistakes into deliberate learning opportunities at every stage of a professional avalanche career.
Object ID: ISSW2026_O12.1.pdf
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15788/1790098527
Language of Article: English
Presenter(s): Aaron Ball
Keywords: mistake-based learning, professional avalanche training, high-risk decision-making, wicked learning environment, learning context
Page Number(s): 1367 - 1374
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