Sparking Curiosity: How Do You Know What Your Students Are Thinking?

People find it easier to learn about topics that interest them. Recent neuroscience research has demonstrated that memory is improved when learning material about which we are curious. Therefore teaching in the context of what students are interested in should result in improved learning. How do we figure out what our students are curious about? What are they thinking? In this paper we will share techniques that we use in our teaching to determine what our students are highly motivated to learn. Data demonstrating increased interest in physics over the course of the term as well as student learning will also be shared. © 2015 American Association of Physics Teachers.