8.1 Learning Goals

By the end of this section, your mandate is to:

• Record all academic mistakes systematically in a Mistake Bank.

• Classify your errors with the help of AI to understand their root cause.

• Use AI to generate targeted corrections and practice drills.

• Review your mistakes weekly as a non-negotiable discipline for improvement.

8.2 Why Track Mistakes?

Mistakes are not failures; they are data points. Each error provides a clear signal on where your understanding is weak. A mistake that is ignored is a lesson lost and a mark you are guaranteed to lose again. By systematically capturing every error in a Mistake Bank, you turn those data points into a powerful engine for progress.

8.3 The Mistake Bank Template

This table is your permanent, non-negotiable record of learning. It must be maintained with discipline.

Question

My Attempt

Correct Answer

Why I Missed

Fix/Drill

8.4 Classifying Errors with AI

After you attempt a question and verify that your answer is wrong, your first step is diagnosis. You must understand the type of error you made. AI can assist in this classification.

Prompt: “I made a mistake on this question. Here is my attempt and the correct answer. Please classify my error as either Concept, Careless, or Timing, and suggest one drill to fix it.”

• A Concept error means you did not understand the underlying principle.

• A Careless error is a small slip, like a sign error, a misread word, or a forgotten unit.

• A Timing error means you understood the material but could not complete it within the required time.

8.5 Example: Maths

You were asked to factorise x² + 5x + 6. Your attempt stopped halfway. After providing the correct answer to the AI, it classifies your error as a Concept mistake. It correctly identifies that you do not fully understand the full factorisation process and suggests drills focused on completing similar problems.

8.6 Example: Science

The question asked for the five stages of mitosis, but your answer only named three. The AI classifies this as an Incomplete Recall error, which falls under the Careless category. It identifies that your knowledge is partial, not fundamentally wrong, and suggests practicing with labeled diagrams to strengthen your memory.

8.7 Example: English

Your task was to write a PEEL paragraph, but you forgot the final "Link" component. The AI correctly classifies this as a Structure error. The recommended drill is to write three new PEEL paragraphs, explicitly labeling all four parts to reinforce the method.

8.8 Weekly Review Discipline

Every Friday is Mistake Bank Day. This is not optional; it is a required ritual for anyone serious about improvement. During this session, you will review every error logged during the week. You can use AI to help you summarize common error types, suggest a consolidated list of practice drills for the weekend, and track your improvement over time.

8.9 Practice Drill

1. Attempt a question from a Maths past paper.

2. Whether you get it right or wrong, record the process in your Mistake Bank.

3. If you were wrong, prompt an AI: “I made a mistake on this question. Classify the error and give me two different drills to ensure I do not make this mistake again.”

8.10 Group Task

In your group, each person will share one mistake they have logged in their Mistake Bank this week. As a team, you will use AI to classify all three mistakes. You will then discuss the AI's suggestions and agree on the best strategy to fix each error.

8.11 Self-Check

1. What are the three primary error types?

2. Why is the weekly review of your Mistake Bank a non-negotiable discipline?

3. How can AI support, but not replace, the process of learning from mistakes?

8.12 Key Takeaway

Mistakes are valuable assets, but only if you bank them. A disciplined Mistake Bank, powered by AI for rapid classification and targeted drills, is the most efficient system I know for turning failure into guaranteed improvement.