Thinking With the Heart: Provoking Emotion as a Tool for Learning

Authors

  • James B. Gould McHenry County College Author

Abstract

One goal of college education is to challenge students to examine and rethink the truth of their life-orienting beliefs. But people do not necessarily come to see the world differently simply by rational argument. While human reason often is resistant to the challenging of deeply held beliefs, people frequently can be moved to new positions through emotional experiences. The author suggests that teachers can enhance learning by constructing classroom activities that provoke strong emotional reactions in students. He examines both why emotional experiences should be used to prepare students to see the world in new ways and how teachers can incorporate emotional experiences into classroom instruction. The author offers a conceptual framework and research evidence that supports the importance of emotion to critical learning. He also provides several examples of activities to illustrate how instructors can provoke emotional reactions that bring about learning and insights.

Published

2024-03-22