Struggling to get students genuinely interested in learning?
Student interest is one of the strongest predictors of engagement, persistence, and achievement. In this interactive, self-directed course, you'll learn how to use cognitive interest cues—research-based strategies that spark curiosity, increase motivation, and draw students into learning from the very beginning of a lesson.
Grounded in neuroscience and learning science, this course explores why curiosity matters for learning and provides a practical process for designing interest cues that capture students' attention and sustain engagement. Throughout the course, you'll apply what you learn directly to your own lessons and units, then take your learning a step further by implementing your strategies, measuring their impact, and receiving expert feedback on your work.
In this course, you will:
- Understand how curiosity and interest influence learning and memory
- Explore the brain science behind student motivation and engagement
- Learn a simple, step-by-step process for designing effective cognitive interest cues
- Apply cognitive interest cue strategies to your own lessons and instructional units
- Measure the impact of your implementation on student engagement and interest
- Submit a classroom artifact demonstrating your use of cognitive interest cues
- Receive expert feedback to strengthen and refine your practice
Upon successful submission and approval of your classroom artifact, you will earn a shareable digital badge that recognizes your demonstrated application of cognitive interest cues. The badge can be added to your professional portfolio, résumé, email signature, or social media profiles to showcase your learning and implementation.
By the end of the course, you'll not only have designed and implemented cognitive interest cues in your classroom, but you'll also receive personalized feedback and a credential that validates your learning.