3 examples of incidental learning that will bring the spark back to your classroom

Are you tired of the same old rote learning techniques in the classroom?

Picture a classroom where students aren't just sitting passively. Instead, they're constantly absorbing new information through exciting and engaging hands-on learning experiences.

Photo by MI PHAM on Unsplash

Incidental learning has the potential to transform the way we approach teaching and learning in the classroom, with benefits such as:

1. Increased engagement

2. Improved retention

3. Increased motivation

Incidental learning happens when we learn something without even trying to. It occurs when we're doing "something else", but we still gain knowledge or skills that can be useful in our lives. Incidental learning is like receiving a bonus.

• While playing adventure games, you might inadvertently learn how to read a map as you had fun exploring different virtual worlds.

• You might enjoy watching culinary shows, such as Master Chef, and unintentionally learn about different cultures and customs as the chefs explore different types of cuisines from around the world.

• As you spend time with someone from a younger generation, such as a nephew or niece, you might learn new slang words.

Incidental learning can increase engagement among students by providing an element of surprise and novelty.

This is because:

• Unexpected information or events increase attention, which results in more buy-in.

• Students are more likely to think critically and engage in more complex mental processing to understand the material.

• It involves making connections between new information and existing knowledge, which also leads to deeper learning.

A psychology professor lectures on memory and the brain. The professor shows a video of someone trying to remember a list of items by associating those items with different areas in their house.

The professor follows up with a surprising fact: that people forget "50% of all new information within a day...and 90% of all new information within a week."

Incidental learning can improve retention by creating a more memorable learning experience.

This is because it:

• Engages multiple areas in the brain.

• Facilitates the connections made in learning from one context to another.

• Promotes long-term recall through a vivid memory.

An economics professor uses the Beanie Baby craze — a time when the popularity of Beanie Babies drove people to pay absurdly high prices for them — to teach students the concept of supply and demand.

Incidental learning can also increase motivation. When students encounter unexpected information, they're more likely to feel a sense of wonder and a desire to learn more.

This is because it:

• Creates a sense of excitement and curiosity.

• Encourages students to think creatively to reach solutions.

• Fosters a sense of personal ownership over their learning.

To engage students in a discussion on what statistics do and don't show, a statistics professor might begin the lesson with a surprising statistic, such as "1 in 5 Americans admits to peeing in the pool."

Ready to take learning to the next level?

Use incidental learning in your classroom for a more effective, efficient, and enjoyable teaching and learning experience with your students.