Curiosity Conversations
Brad Garner, PhD, Digital Learning Scholar in Residence, Office of Academic Innovation, Indiana Wesleyan University
"Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning."
William Arthur Ward (1921-1994) American motivational writer.
In the classic text, The Idea of a University, John Henry Newman (1992) expounded on the critical importance of curiosity in higher education and the lives of our students:
Curiosity is a key to the acquisition of knowledge. It is curiosity that moves the student to explore and discover new fields, and without it, education becomes a mechanical and lifeless process. The true student is driven by curiosity, which, in turn, leads to a deeper understanding and a more comprehensive view of the world. (p. 109)
Here, Newman argued eloquently that curiosity should be considered an essential element of engagement and learning in higher education. For faculty, student demonstrations of curiosity are often observed when students ask insightful questions, actively engage in discussions, assess their knowledge and information gaps, and initiate conversations outside of class (Eva, 2022).
There is an ongoing ebb and flow of emphasis on the value of curiosity and its role in our lives and learning (Schmitt & Lahroodi, 2008). Moreover, it is interesting to note that although the word curiosity has appeared in the mission statements of the Association for the Study of Higher Education, the American Association of Colleges and Universities, the International Baccalaureate, and the International Association of Universities, it has since been removed. The mission statements for these organizations have moved on to a variety of other priorities, including the promotion of equity, innovation, and excellence; inquiry to increase knowledge and understanding; the development of young people who are caring, knowledgeable, and inquiring; and the generation and sharing of new knowledge and insights. Despite these changes, as we will see, the spirit of curiosity undergirds all these stated priorities.
Research has shown that curiosity can have a variety of benefits for learners in higher education:
Engagement and Motivation—Promoting and developing curiosity can be a powerful intrinsic motivator in students' lives (Kashdan et al., 2004).
Deep Learning and Critical Thinking—Curiosity has been linked to our ability to engage in deep learning and critical thinking. Curiosity leads to reflecting and considering newly acquired knowledge (Anderson et al., 2019; Summerlee et al., 2022).
Lifelong Learning—Developing a curious mind will pay long-term benefits to students as they continue to grow, develop, and learn throughout their lives (James, 1899; Robinson & Aronica, 2014).
Creativity—A curious person is consistently exploring new ideas. This process helps them think outside the box and create novel solutions to problems and issues (Hagtvedt et al., 2019).
Academic Performance—Research supports the contention that curious students are likely to have higher levels of educational achievement. Their inquisitive minds help them engage more deeply with the knowledge and concepts they explore in their coursework (Maksum & Khory, 2020; Shin & Kim, 2019).
Emotional Well-Being—Curiosity can lead to satisfaction and a willingness to take intellectual risks and deal with challenges as they arise (Gallagher & Lopez, 2007; Robinson & Aronica, 2014).
How, then, might faculty create learning opportunities that encourage students to be curious and explore beyond the bounds of traditional course design?
Engage Your Students in a Curiosity Conversation
In the book A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life, Brian Grazer et al. (2023) described how being curious has been a key ingredient in his success. Part of his fascination with curiosity grew from conversations that he would have with people from all walks of life. Brian Grazer observed:
Curiosity conversations can help give you a bigger life. They can do for you what they have done for me—they can help you step out of your world, widen your perspective, give you a taste of experiences you will not have on your own (p. 259).
Another excellent and related resource is Malcolm Gladwell's (2024) book Talking to Strangers.
Stefan and Buechel (2020) shared a strategy for engaging their students in Curiosity Conversations as part of their academic coursework. The primary role of the Curiosity Conversation is to provide a forum for students to explore questions and topics of interest. Furthermore, this experience allows students to develop skills in asking questions, listening, and integrating points of view that may be different from their own.
Steps in the Process
This process aims to create opportunities for students to explore topics and people related to course content, individually held perspectives, and the wider world. As a starting point, begin by helping students understand the value of curiosity and what can be gained by conversing with people we don't know. Some excellent videos that describe the value of the Curiosity Conversation include:
Curiosity Is a Superpower — If You Have the Courage to Use It with Brian Grazer
The Power of Curiosity: A Conversation with Brian Grazer
How to Talk to Strangers with author Malcolm Gladwell
Let Curiosity Lead with Yara Shahidi
Why Curiosity Gets You Farther Than Ambition with Drew Lynch
From there, students can choose the person they will be talking with and plan for their conversation:
Students could be assigned to have a one-on-one conversation with their instructor. These conversations often focus on the student and instructor sharing parts of their stories, building a relationship, and answering the student’s questions about the course, their academic major, or professional opportunities after graduation. These meetings are recommended to move to a neutral site like a campus coffee shop.
Students could also be assigned to interview a "person at large." Examples include a different faculty member or an institutional administrator, a professional working in their field of interest, a government official, or a leader in a local non-profit organization.
Students could be asked to engage in a Curiosity Conversation with someone different from them in one or more ways (e.g., race, religion, sexual orientation). This is a powerful opportunity, but students should have some preparation around diversity, identities, and intersectionality in preparation for this experience.
After identifying the purpose and focus of their Curiosity Conversation, students are requested to develop a list of questions and topics. At this point in the process, it is also helpful to provide students with some tips on engaging in an exploratory conversation (e.g., listening intently to responses, asking follow-up questions, seeking clarification, maintaining eye contact, focusing, and demonstrating empathy).
After conducting their Curiosity Conversation, students are asked to reflect on their learning and summarize the experience. Sample questions to guide this reflection include:
What are some of the most exciting and unexpected things I learned from this conversation?
How does this conversation inspire me to learn more and explore?
How might these insights be applied in my life?
Consider inviting your students to participate in a Curiosity Conversation to develop their skills in engaging with others, enhance their listening skills, and learn more about themselves and others.
References
Anderson, C. L., Dixson, D. D., Monroy, M., & Keltner, D. (2019). Are awe‐prone people more curious? The relationship between Dispositional Awe, curiosity, and academic outcomes. Journal of Personality, 88(4), 762–779. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12524
Eva, A. L. (2022, October 17). Four ways to inspire humble curiosity in your students. Greater Good. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/four_ways_to_inspire_humble_curiosity_in_your_students
Gallagher, M. W., & Lopez, S. J. (2007). Curiosity and well-being. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 2(4), 236–248. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760701552345
Gladwell, M. (2024). Talking to strangers: What we should know about the people we don't know. CELA.
Grazer, B., Fishman, C., Butz, N. L., & Weber, S. (2023). A curious mind: The secret to a bigger life. Simon & Schuster Audio.
Hagtvedt, L. P., Dossinger, K., Harrison, S. H., & Huang, L. (2019). Curiosity made the cat more creative: Specific curiosity as a driver of creativity. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 150, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp. 2018.10.007
James, W. (1899). Talks to teachers and students on some of life's ideals. Longmans, Green & Co.
Kashdan, T. B., Stiksma, M. C., Disabato, D. J., McKnight, P. E., Bekier, J., Kaji, J., & Lazarus, R. (2004). The five-dimensional curiosity scale: Capturing the bandwidth of curiosity and identifying four unique subgroups of curious people. Journal of Research in Personality, 73, 130–149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2017.11.011
Maksum, A., & Khory, F. D. (2020). Effect of learning climate, thinking pattern, and curiosity on academic performance in Higher Education. Problems of Education in the 21st Century, 78(1), 102–113. https://doi.org/10.33225/pec/20.78.102
Newman, J. H. C. (1992). The idea of a university. University of Notre Dame Press.
Robinson, K., & Aronica, L. (2014). The element: How finding your passion changes everything. Penguin Books.
Schmitt, F. F., & Lahroodi, R. (2008). The epistemic value of curiosity. Educational Theory, 58(2), 125–148. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-5446.2008.00281.x
Shin, D. D., & Kim, S. (2019). Homo curious: Curious or interested? Educational Psychology Review, 31(4), 853–874. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-019-09497-x
Stefan, D., & Buechel, L. (2020). Effective ePortfolios and project-Based learning experiences: The Impact of life coaching and positive psychology interventions on well-being and retention in an online graduate program. Indiana University; 2020 [cited 2024 Aug 16]. https://iu.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/t/1_m032zgfa
Summerlee, A., MacKinnon, S. L., & Archer-Kuhn, B. (2022). Reigniting curiosity and inquiry in Higher Education: A Realist's Guide to getting started with inquiry-based learning. Routledge & CRC.