10 Strategies To Promote Curiosity In Learning

Curiosity is crucial to learning.

For years, education has responded by admonishing teachers to “enagage” students with “engaging content,” but engagement and curiosity are decidedly different. An engaged student may very well be curious, but such curiosity isn’t necessary for engagement.

Engagement is more than paying attention, but doesn’t demand an empowered thinker forging into new ideas with an open-mind and relevant questions.

That’s curiosity.

More importantly, authentic curiosity comes from the learner outward, not by dangling flashing, singing and dancing carrots in front of students. It stems from past experience and current knowledge, then branches out to new domains, applications, and opportunities for transfer.

Sounds fancy, but how does one “cause” curiosity? Herein lies the heart of so many modern movements in progressive learning systems–the learner, their unique curiosities, and their patterns of self-direction.

10 Strategies to Promote Curiosity in Learning

From Marilyn Arnone via ericsdigest.org*, below are 10 strategies–or strategy topics–to promote curiosity in learners.

And engagement, learning, retention, and all that comes with it.

Strategy 1: Curiosity as a Hook

Strategy 2: Conceptual Conflict

Strategy 3: An Atmosphere for Questions

Strategy 4: Time

Strategy 5: Choices

Strategy 6: Curiosity-Arousing Elements

Strategy 7: The Right Amount of Stimulation

Strategy 8: Exploration

Strategy 9: Rewards

Strategy 10: Modeling