By Erica Gustafson, Staff Writer
When it comes to school most students just think of lectures, homework and exams as most of the work that will go into their classes. These things are all a part of classroom education, but they are not necessarily a great motivating factor for students. Many students procrastinate and work on the bare minimum to quickly complete their assignments. What are we really learning by doing the bare minimum?
Curiosity is a personal trait that continuously motivates individuals to learn as much as they can about things that interest them or make them wonder. This curiosity that lies in people also can have as great of an impact as intelligence.
Without students always realizing it, professors tend to implement teaching methods that push students to use their sense of curiosity to learn more about their classes each day.
One of the methods they use is to simply encourage students to ask questions regularly. Some students entering college courses get nervous and hesitate to ask questions. They get scared that they do not understand the material and do not want to receive judgment from fellow students. Though it’s not always easy to ask questions this curiosity to understand the material better can lead to new innovative ways of thinking. It also can increase confidence for students because they then can have a better understanding of the material in courses.
Another method is to understand that any student learning should be skeptical. When students use the questions of what if, why and how, they can question and think about what the information is saying. These questions are commonly looked at by philosophers who look beyond the words to see what they are trying to represent and what story they are trying to tell. Students who may struggle with understanding information can use these questions to dig deeper into the course and find answers that they might not have even been looking for in the first place.
A final tool that teachers use to enforce curiosity is by looking towards current events and allowing students to use their creativity to help their work. When students are looking to construct new ideas and theories, they are more likely to follow the information and be immersed in the material. Students also tend to enjoy learning more when they have a sense of personal creativity and freedom in their work. Current events and creativity combined can bring up new issues and controversies that students can learn from.
When thinking about the idea of curiosity, many people over time have used the phrase, “curiosity killed the cat.” This may be true at times, but curiosity can be used in a positive way of encouraging learning. Albert Einstein once said, “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existence. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery each day.”
gustafea18@bonaventure.edu
