4 Characteristics for Engaging Learning-Engaging Screenagers

DrWarren Engaging Screenagers problem solving discussion

4 Characteristics for Engaging Learning-Engaging Screenagers

Have you seen this new description of our world?
We live in a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world for Engaging Screenagers as well as adults.
If the world has all of these characteristics, then how can traditional learning (with a teacher talking and students looking at powerpoints) help prepare our Engaging Screenagers for their future in this world?


If we’re developing our Engaging Screenagers for this world how can teachers change their classrooms?
I found 4 characteristics (I stole from my computer game designer friends) that every classroom would be good to include: challenge, enjoyment, frustration, curiosity.
I’m not saying I want to go into gamification of learning, but we can use some of the characteristics the gaming folks use to make games more engaging.
An engaging classroom best has:
Challenge: How challenging is PowerPoint? (junk engagement)
Sorry, I just wanted to share that because PowerPoint is a great way to give information but it creates a passive (not challenging) learning environment. (junk engagement)

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change
By asking questions, assigning curating and discussing tasks, and yes, including games like Kahoots, you can add challenge to an otherwise boring class with an eWorkbook made with Google Forms on mobile devices. (optimal engagement)
Enjoyment: How enjoyable is sitting and listening to anyone who isn’t the best of communicators?
Use eWorkbooks to adjust learning content to include the learners’ interests. (optimal engagement)
Use eWorkbooks to include enjoyable images and videos (or let learners curate examples related to their own preferences.  


Before humans had the ability to record history we used stories, and we have maintained that legacy by finding joy in hearing and following along with stories, so include enjoyable stories in your eWorkbooks with mobile devices.

DrWarren Engaging Screenagers problem solving discussion
DrWarren Engaging Screenagers problem solving discussion









If you are not sure your examples (images, stories, videos, etc.) are enjoyable, just ask your students by including questions in your eWorkbooks and adjust based on their answers.
Frustration: How is frustration a good characteristic for a classroom? What does frustration do for us as humans?
Frustration builds determination as we try over and over to learn, solve, or otherwise overcome obstacles. (optimal engagement)
Also, frustration creates that tension that pushes us to improve our skills, knowledge, and abilities when facing obstacles and challenges.
Frustration overcomes boredom if we don’t have enough challenge then as humans we get bored easily.  
Remember though, if we have too much frustration without the skills, knowledge, and/or abilities to overcome the frustrations can lead to elevated stress that is not productive. (junk engagement)
Again, by using eWorkbooks you can monitor and adjust based on your learners’ responses.
Curiosity: How can you increase curiosity in your classroom beyond just asking questions?
Curiosity is a natural driver for much of education, curiosity is learning, and exploring the new and unfamiliar.
Stephen Levine wrote, “We get energy by exerting it.”
Curiosity helps create energy that we exert. (optimal engagement)
As I mentioned before, curiosity keeps us following a story to see what happens in the end.
Curiosity keeps learners going as they curate clues, evidence, and ideas, and when you use eWorkbooks, like I mentioned before, you can monitor how they respond so you can adjust curiosity in the future.
Wouldn’t it be great if teachers could include these 4 characteristics (challenge, enjoyment, frustration, curiosity) in their eWorkbooks in every class?
Can’t educators go forward and upgrade education to include these 4 valuable aspects in the classrooms?
How can our learners deal with a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous future if we don’t help include these 4 characteristics in eWorkbooks now?

Challenge, enjoyment, frustration, curiosity for learning.

You can see examples of screen innovations for Optimal Experiences at JOIN THE CURATION: Google+.
Remember to engage tomorrow.
Following with you.
Keep it simple.
All the Best, Warren
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Dr Warren LINGER © 2017
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