Hello again –

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Welcome to the fourth pillar in the series Pillars of Active Learning. If you missed the previous weeks, you can catch up here:

1. ​Re-imagining the lecture as the final frontier​
2. ​Challenges of active learning​
3. ​Use story​
4. ​Incorporate physical objects​
5. ​Using micro-lessons​

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Using the art of mystery 🕵🏾

As nurse educators, we constantly seek innovative approaches to captivate our students' interest, help them retain and apply knowledge, and develop life-long learning habits. And yet, within the vast array of teaching strategies and methodologies, there lies an often overlooked gem—the art of mystery.

Imagine a classroom where intrigue permeates the air, where students lean forward with anticipation, eager to unravel the mysteries of the nursing universe. Adding a touch of mystery to your teaching is a strategy that can invigorate learning, foster critical thinking, and leave a lasting imprint.

This week, we will explore the fourth pillar - Enticing curiosity.

Benefits of a Curious Mind 🧠

Last week, we learned that attention spans are declining. But curiosity is a tool that counteracts this. When curious about a topic, students become more receptive to new information and concepts. They actively seek answers, making connections between existing knowledge and new ideas. This curiosity-driven approach to learning encourages critical thinking, problem-solving, and a deeper understanding of the subject matter. Here are a few benefits of promoting curiosity:

• 🙋‍♂️ Increased Student Engagement - Curiosity acts as a catalyst for engagement, transforming passive learners into active participants. It fosters a sense of ownership and responsibility for their education, leading to higher motivation and dedication to the learning process. Students become more eager to explore, question, and collaborate with their peers and educators.
• 🚀 Long-Term Knowledge Retention - Curiosity not only fuels immediate engagement but also promotes long-term knowledge retention. Students are more likely to remember and apply what they have learned when genuinely interested in a topic. This retention is crucial, as it helps students carry the knowledge from the classroom to the bedside.

Encouraging active exploration 🗺️

So, how do you bring a sense of wonder and curiosity into a technical lecture section? Here are a few ideas:

🤔 Start with a Thought-Provoking Question: Begin your class with an intriguing question related to the topic you will be exploring. It could be a research-related question (what are the effects of chewing gum on post-operative ileus?), the start of a real-life case study (for example, a medical error related to heparin), or a story from your practice. Ask students to formulate more questions about the topic (How could this happen? How could it be prevented?), guide an open discussion, and encourage students to share their thoughts and ideas.

🚁 Guest speakers or alternative locations: Invite guest speakers from the nursing profession to share their experiences and insights. Even a quick 15-minute discussion with a flight nurse or an infusion nurse can ignite curiosity in a student. If your school or university has a classroom that is set up for active learning (think pods, whiteboards, collaborative tools), see if you can reserve it and organize a “field trip” for one class section. These external stimuli or changes in routine are great ways to add the unexpected to a class.

🪄 Embrace Ambiguity: Ambiguity is a part of nursing practice, and students often struggle with the “grey” areas. Allowing students to grapple with complex, open-ended problems or ambiguous situations will require critical thinking and creative problem-solving. Resist the urge to provide clear-cut answers or solutions. Instead, help them to get comfortable with the uncertainty, explore multiple perspectives, and construct their understanding through the muddy middle. By embracing ambiguity, you create space for curiosity to flourish and empower students to embrace the inherent complexities of nursing practice.

🔮 Cultivate a sense of wonder and awe in your classroom: Look to infuse your lessons with moments of surprise, discovery, and delight. Introduce unexpected twists, fascinating facts, or awe-inspiring visuals that captivate students' imaginations and inspire wonder. Share a recent medical breakthrough related to your topic. Look for quirky nursing interventions (think mint in the urinal for retention or the scent pods used for nausea) and let them explore the topic further. Bring in objects, craft supplies, or low-fidelity simulators.

🧙 Give examples of curious nurses: Give students examples of how curious nurses solved healthcare problems. For instance, at the local hospital where I worked, nurses investigated ways to prevent patient falls. They implemented a video monitoring program where one unlicensed personnel could monitor up to 10 patients from a single station. They observed for certain behaviors and then alerted the nurse, decreasing the unit’s patient falls considerably without using 1:1 sitters. Curiosity can be a driving force that empowers nurses to investigate new treatments, embrace innovative technologies, advocate for their patients, and eliminate health disparities. Allow students' curiosity to fuel their discoveries.

🔎 Let students lead the investigation: Rather than simply explaining all you know about the connection between BMP and heart failure, let the student do the heavy lifting. Give them a research assignment and have them share their findings in post-conference so that they follow through. You can use this with any question they ask you - “Why don’t you find the answer to that and report back to me?”

Curiosity as an Active Learning Tool 🧰

A bit of mystery, the unknown, and ambiguity can be a powerful tool in our teaching toolbox. You can effectively use curiosity as an active learning teaching tool by presenting students with an interesting situation, providing structure for their investigation, and finally allowing them to discuss the conclusion they found.

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​ Did you know? This email series is developed from an active learning presentation that uses a unique card deck to illustrate each pillar. 📍If you think this would be useful for your next conference, click below! Learn More

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Next week, we will dive into the fifth pillar - Using movement. See you then!
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