Promoting Students' Curiosity: How, When, and Why

• In Event: Working With Demonstrated Differences Between Curiosity and Interest: A Panel Discussion of Implications

Abstract

How can we encourage students to be more curious about learning materials? This simple but crucial question has long troubled educators. We addressed this question in a series of experiments. Grounded on the information gap theory (Loewenstein, 1994), we hypothesized that reducing the perceived uncertainty (the gap between known and unknown) by garnering more information would stimulate students’ curiosity. Curiosity was conceptualized as an intrinsic desire for missing information. The findings of our study rendered four insights into how, when, and why students’ curiosity is strengthened.

First, the experience of curiosity is susceptible to both the amount of available knowledge and students’ perceptions thereof. Information gap theory posits that curiosity arises when one is optimally uncertain – neither too knowledgeable nor too ignorant. Our findings corroborated this theory as participants’ curiosity about answers to trivia questions increased significantly with the addition of information; however, their curiosity started to wane once they believed that they had become sufficiently knowledgeable about the answers. This result suggests that strategically presenting content so students’ knowledge about the material would increase gradually could be an effective means to trigger their curiosity.

Second, curiosity is also vulnerable to the cost of resolving it. When the cost of learning the answer is too high (e.g., too difficult or takes a long time), it could limit the generation of curiosity. In our study, when participants had to wait a long time to see the answers, they were less curious about them than when they were provided with the answers immediately. This finding indicates that enduring high cost of satisfying initial curiosity could reduce individuals’ subsequent curiosity to further understand the material.

Third, boring materials provide a unique opportunity to motivate students’ curiosity. Several scholars have postulated boredom as motivation for curiosity, reasoning that individuals are naturally drawn to eliminate the undesirable condition of boredom by making themselves wonder (e.g., Berlyne, 1960; Day, 1982; Mugon, Danckert, & Eastwood, 2019). We also predicted that our strategy to increase curiosity would be most fruitful for boring materials compared with intriguing materials. The results were consistent with this hypothesis; eliciting curiosity was especially conducive when students were engaged in boring materials.

Fourth, a strategy to enhance learner curiosity contributes to the development of interest. Shin and Kim (2019) proposed that repeated experiences of successful curiosity resolution can lay a foundation for developing individual interest. Supporting this proposal, we found that participants’ experience pertinent to curiosity resolution cycle during the task played a significant role in enhancing post-task interest and an inclination to reengage with the materials, which are the genesis of individual interest.

Together, we offer initial evidence that narrowing the information gap can be one promising technique to stoke curiosity. Even so, many facets of this strategy still need to be worked out (e.g., how information should be provided; how to help students monitor their knowledge accurately). Further investigations into the specifics of this strategy would help produce more curious learners.

Authors

• Dajung Diane Shin, Korea University

• Sung-il Kim, Korea University

• Mimi Bong, Korea University