Beyond the Buzzwords: Curiosity and Motivation as True Drivers of Success

Phylise H. Banner, Director of eLearning at Champlain College Online

Phylise H. Banner, Director of eLearning at Champlain College Online

Phylise holds a BA in information visualization from New York University and an MSEd from Nova Southeastern University. She is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), certified Learning Environment Architect (CLEA), Adobe Education Leader (ALE) and Fellow of the Society for Technical Communication. Her most recent book, The Language of Learning, is available from XML Press.

Her hobbies include general aviation (she co-pilots a 1968 Piper Cherokee), fire-torch enameling, performance storytelling, playing the theremin and learning to play the accordion. She is also the proud owner of a 1967 Amphicar.

While the term "student engagement" has been a buzzword in education for years, I’m convinced that we need to move beyond this overused term to truly understand what motivates learners to persist and succeed. The focus should not just be on engagement as a metric or a box to check but on the underlying elements that actively fuel this engagement—curiosity and motivation. These core drivers are what make learning experiences genuinely captivating and effective.

Shifting our perspective from a superficial engagement to fostering deep-seated curiosity and intrinsic motivation, we can create learning experiences that encourage students to explore, ask questions and take ownership of their learning journey. This approach not only deepens their understanding but also enhances their ability to apply knowledge creatively and persistently, leading to true success.

As a child, I was captivated by the night sky, always wondering what was really out there (and how it all stayed up there in the sky). This curiosity was not merely about gathering questions—it propelled me to find answers.

I recently received a high-quality telescope as a gift – a thrilling moment for me as a lover of the night sky. To me, this isn’t just a cool gadget; it is a tool for discovery, allowing me to continue fueling my curiosity (all these years later) and delve deeper into the science hidden in the wonders of the night sky. This exploration not only expands my understanding of astronomy but also reminds me of the critical role curiosity and motivation play in our learning processes.

Understanding Curiosity

Curiosity is the desire to learn, explore and discover new information. In the context of learning, curiosity is the driving force that compels us to ask questions, seek answers and explore new learning material and pathways. It is an intrinsic motivator that encourages us to take an active role in our own learning processes, as we are driven by a genuine interest in the subject matter.

Curiosity plays a crucial role in driving learner engagement by encouraging exploration, promoting deeper understanding and enhancing retention. Curious learners are more likely to explore the learning environment, seek out additional resources and engage in self-directed learning. When learners are curious about a topic, they are more likely to ask questions, engage in discussions and seek clarification, leading to a deeper understanding of the subject matter. Furthermore, curiosity-driven learning is often more memorable, as learners are emotionally and intellectually invested in the material.

Strategies for fostering curiosity:

● Provide open-ended learning experiences: Design learning activities that encourage learners to explore, discover, and draw their own conclusions.

● Use thought-provoking questions: Pose questions that challenge learners to think critically and explore different perspectives.

● Incorporate mystery and surprise: Use unexpected elements and reveal information gradually to pique learners' curiosity and maintain engagement.

● Encourage learner-contributed content: Provide opportunities for learners to create and share their own content, fostering a sense of ownership and curiosity in the learning process.

Harnessing Motivation

Intrinsic motivation is driven by personal interest, enjoyment and a desire to learn. Intrinsically motivated learners engage in learning activities because they find them inherently satisfying and rewarding. Extrinsic motivation comes from external factors, such as rewards, grades or recognition. While extrinsic motivators can be effective in the short term, they may not foster the same level of long-term engagement as intrinsic motivation.

Creating a sense of autonomy and self-determination is crucial for fostering intrinsic motivation in learners. This can be achieved by providing learners with choices, allowing them to select their learning paths, topics of interest and methods of demonstrating their knowledge. Incorporating self-reflection activities encourages learners to identify their strengths, weaknesses and areas for growth, promoting a deeper understanding of their own learning process.

Strategies for tapping into motivation:

● Offer challenges at the appropriate level, ensuring that learning activities are engaging and stimulating without being overly difficult or discouraging.

● Provide frequent, constructive feedback to help learners track their progress and identify areas for improvement, allowing them to continually develop their skills and knowledge.

● Recognize and celebrate learners' successes, both big and small, to build confidence and maintain motivation.

Success Metrics

Measuring curiosity and motivation within learning environments is a challenging task, as these intrinsic factors are highly subjective and can vary greatly from one learner to another.

Surveys that ask learners about their interest, perceived value and achievements can offer valuable insights, but they are subject to the limitations of self-reported data. Learners may not always have an accurate sense of their own curiosity drivers or motivation levels and may respond in ways that they believe are expected or desired.

To more accurately gauge learner curiosity and motivation, we need to craft surveys that prompt learners to reflect on their experiences and provide specific, detailed examples. Posing well-crafted questions, we can obtain more genuine and insightful responses that illuminate the drivers of learner engagement.

Consider the insights that could be gained from these survey questions:

● Imagine you had the opportunity to explore any topic related to this course in greater depth. What would you choose to investigate and why?

● Describe a moment during a learning experience when you felt a sudden burst of curiosity or a strong desire to learn more about a particular concept or idea. What triggered this moment and how did you pursue it?

● If you could have a conversation with any expert or thought leader in the field related to this course, who would you choose and what questions would you ask them?

● Reflect on a time when your curiosity led you to explore a topic or resource beyond what was required for the course. How did this exploration enrich your learning experience and what new insights or perspectives did you gain?

● Imagine you were tasked with designing a learning activity or assignment for this course that would motivate you to dive deeper into the subject matter. What would this activity look like?

The responses to these questions can offer valuable insights into what drives learners' curiosity, how they pursue their interests and what types of learning experiences they are most likely to persist and succeed in. Just as my new telescope opened up new learning opportunities for me, fostering curiosity in our learning experiences can illuminate new pathways, guiding learners through uncharted territories of knowledge and discovery.

Bio

Phylise Banner is a learning experience designer with more than 25 years of vision, action and leadership experience in transformational learning and development approaches. A pioneer in online learning, Phylise focuses her explorations and research on the synergy between the evolution of educational theories and technologies. The gemstones she treasures most in her career portfolio are the relationships she has built with the global network of talented colleagues she interacts with throughout industry and academia.