January 1, 2021
Do students prefer familiar or unfamiliar classes during unsettled times?
When you are uncomfortable do you resort to familiar things? Re-read the same books, watch the same movies, listen to familiar music? Or are you more inclined to stir things up and try something new? The mere-exposure-effect (Robert Zajonc) predicts that people tend to prefer things they are familiar with. Did most people revert to familiar past-times during the most novel parts of the pandemic? Do humans tend to find balance by seeking extra comfort in areas we can control when areas out of our control are forcing so much newness?
The flip side would be to respond to discomfort by seeking more of it. Perhaps the best course of action since we are already unsettled is to stir things up further? An argument could be made that if we try something new, this has the potential to distract us from the original discomfort. But there is a trade-off, seeking out novel experiences requires physical and mental effort. If there is an exploration exploitation trade-off (exploration: try something brand new or exploitation: stick with tried-and-true) my vote is to err on the side of exploration. Steven Dubner asks if there is an opportunity cost to decreasing novelty seeking? I think so, how else would we evolve to improve? Does seeking novelty need to occur in the middle of a pandemic? Perhaps not, but maybe it is the best time to try something new and fail – most people are too caught up with the pandemic to judge. If windows to novelty tend to close as we age (Robert Sapolsky), then waiting for the Pandemic to end will take too long.
Students usually do not get the choice of remaining with the same-old teaching style versus trying something new. We were all trying something dramatically new with the school timetable, but I wonder if amidst all the newness they would have preferred more or less additional newness in learning strategies. It’s on my list to ask our classes next week, I’ve added these questions to my end of semester Likert scale student feedback forms:
- I seek comfort in familiar teaching and learning styles. I preferred lecture-style instruction more this year because so much has changed already. (1 – not true at all for me; 10 – yes this is true for me)
- I like new and different teaching and learning styles. Everything was different in school this year already, I figured this might as well change too. (1 – not true at all for me; 10 – yes this is true for me)
Angela Duckworth & Steven Dubner contend that the teenage age-group are the most willing to try new things. If this is true, then trying new teaching strategies despite the Pandemic is likely still good for student learning.
Thoughts on Freakonomics Radio – No Stupid Questions: “Why Do We Seek Comfort in the Familiar?” – December 23, 2020 (By Angela Duckworth & Steven Dubner)
Jessica DesRoches 