Designing for Curiosity: Creating Classrooms Where Students Want to Learn

Why do students willingly spend hours solving problems, collaborating and persisting through challenges in games, yet disengage during traditional lessons? The answer lies in design. In this practical session, explore how principles found in successful games and interactive experiences, such as curiosity, choice, challenge, feedback, autonomy and progression, can be intentionally built into classroom instruction with educational technology. Through research-based strategies and real-world examples, discover how blended learning, AI tools, multimedia creation platforms, choice boards, playlists and inquiry-driven activities can turn passive learners into active participants. Examine classroom-tested approaches that increase student voice, ownership and engagement while fostering deeper learning and authentic problem-solving, and learn how to tell whether technology is driving meaningful engagement or simply digitizing traditional tasks. You will leave with planning templates, lesson design frameworks and adaptable strategies you can use immediately across grade levels and content areas to create student-centered classrooms where curiosity drives learning.