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General Card #1493
CURIOSITY: What do we mean?
Updated: 3/12/2024 12:13 PM by Doug Melton
Reviewed: 10/14/2022 3:09 PM by Michael Johnson
Summary
Understanding curiosity in depth and within an entrepreneurial mindset.
Description
Suppose you concretely quantified a student's degree of CURIOSITY. How might their learning, their engineering solutions, their career (and life) change if their curiosity were, say, doubled? Certainly, there would be upsides and downsides. Thinking might be less linear, less patterned, perhaps even controversial. But controlled, directed, and productive curiosity is at the root of discovery. The good news is that research shows that CURIOSITY can be increased. Curiosity is invaluable for uncovering essential and unexpected information that shapes engineering solutions to their maximum potential. Indeed, that's the aspirational goal of partner institutions in KEEN.

This card is about understanding CURIOSITY in depth and within an entrepreneurial mindset. The KEEN Framework provides a starting point for two student outcomes related to curiosity. Students should:

  1. Demonstrate constant curiosity about the changing world around us.

  2. Explore a contrarian view of accepted solutions.

Turning the CURIOSITY outcomes into questions is also helpful. Students achieving these outcomes will ask:

    • "What changes affect our future?"

    • "How can we __________ differently? better?"

These are likely elements of an entrepreneurial mindset but they are not intended to be a complete description of curiosity. Rather, within KEEN, these form a "starter set" for curiosity-related outcomes.

To reach these outcomes, design exercises so that students:
    • Investigate trends,
    • Generate their own questions,
    • Challenge assumptions,
    • Investigate areas of their own choosing,
    • Assume the role of a “futurist,” supporting predictions,
    • Act on their curiosity,
    • Consider multiple points of view,
    • Create a positive atmosphere of constructive criticism,
    • Offer considered, pertinent feedback to peers and authorities,
    • Examine data that supports unpopular solutions.

If curiosity is going to become part of a mindset, part of a disposition, then the goal of educational interventions is to exercise situational curiosity to increase a student’s dispositional curiosity.

To dive deeper, research literature describes characteristics of curiosity itself, including:

Epistemic vs. Diversive Curiosity
Epistemic curiosity investigates underlying reasons, asking "Why?" while diverse curiosity considers possibilities, asking "What if?". For example, see Berlyne or Litman, et. al. in the research folder.

Situational vs. Dispositional Curiosity
Situational curiosity is generated from surrounding circumstances while dispositional curiosity describes an attitudinal propensity to be curious. For example, see Kashdan and Roberts in the research folder.

Reductive vs. Inductive Curiosity
Reductive curiosity is motivated by "wanting" while inductive curiosity is characterized by "liking" new information. For example, see Litman below.

See the folders below for the following:

  • An expanded description of the curiosity-related outcomes
  • Research references and perspectives on curiosity
  • One short example of "curiosity" in curriculum
  • A collection of websites and cards that you can use to promote "curiosity" connected to your educational goals
  • Tools for Curiosity

Curiosity
  • Demonstrate constant curiosity about our changing world
  • Explore a contrarian view of accepted solution
Categories & Tags
  • Classroom & Courses
  • Engineering Unleashed Resources
  • Comprehensive
Groups
Folders
Description
Title Type Ext Date Size Download All Downloads
KEEN Curiosity Videos Video 8/9/2023 -  
A Focus on Curiosity with Tools! Presentation .pdf 8/9/2023 26.3 MB 1283
Examples of the 3Cs.pdf Other .pdf 8/9/2023 363.2 KB 1154
BOOK: Curious by Ian Leslie Other 8/9/2023 -  
Curiosity Workshop - Univ of St. Thomas Activity / Handout .pdf 8/9/2023 448.8 KB 1184
Podcast: Curiosity Daily Other 8/9/2023 -  
AACU VALUE Rubrics, See CURIOSITY within Assessment / Rubric .pdf 8/9/2023 88 KB 1152
Curiosity icon Photo / Graphic .png 8/9/2023 15.4 KB 1063
Description
Title Type Ext Date Size Download All Downloads
Loewenstein, Psychology of Curiosity Other .pdf 12/22/2017 3 MB 1105
Kashdan and Roberts, Trait and State Other .pdf 12/22/2017 252.7 KB 1185
Litman, Information Wanting & Liking Other .pdf 12/22/2017 142.4 KB 1267
Berlyne, Theory of Curiosity, 1954 Other .pdf 1/12/2018 1.1 MB 1203
Litman, et. al., Diversive vs. Epistemic Other .pdf 1/12/2018 92.5 KB 1390
Arnone, Small - Arousing Curio (w/Curve) Other .pdf 1/12/2018 1.1 MB 1134
Kim, et. al., Curiosity and Motivation Other .pdf 1/12/2018 147.7 KB 1067
Curiosity and Motivation to Learn Borowske05.pdf Other .pdf 1/12/2018 130 KB 1148
Curiosity, Information Gaps, and the Utility of Knowledge Golman_Loewenstein April 2015.pdf Other .pdf 1/12/2018 279.6 KB 1306
LeBlanc_Nepal_Mowry_StimulatingCuriosityUsingQFT_FIE2017.pdf Other .pdf 1/12/2018 746.9 KB 1100
Curiosity_and_Exploration_Facilitating_P.pdf Other .pdf 1/12/2018 170.5 KB 1144
The reliability of the CEI - studia_2007.pdf Other .pdf 1/12/2018 235.1 KB 1325