How Do Interest-based Learning Activities Support Learning?

September 27, 2022 byBob Engler

5 min to read

An online school student and parent working on a space activity together

Children are naturally curious and passionate about exploring their interests.

Those qualities create a dynamic entry point into a highly effective educational strategy called interest-based learning (IBL). It channels their eagerness to learn about things they like into a guided cycle of asking questions and finding answers. The “guided” part is critical. IBL is a process for expanding inquiry and discovery, not just a way to learn how to do hobbies better.

IBL changes the student’s role in the educational process by giving them a voice in setting the academic agenda. IBL motivates them to become active learners. By provoking their curiosity and encouraging them to ask questions, IBL takes advantage of how kids’ brains are wired to connect the things, they know with new things.

It also changes the role of Learning Coaches, parents, and teachers. Understanding their students’ interests— whether by observation or conversation—is the foundation of the model. It’s also the key to effective mentoring and inspiring students to stay focused on their learning.

The impact of learning arranged around these activities and pursuits can be dramatic.

ASCD an online education community, quoted a high-schooler whose student-centric curriculum led to success she could not have imagined. Prior to her IBL experience, Beatrice said she’d felt like teachers have always tried to teach her what to think.

“This is the first time I feel like I’ve been taught how to think and really had to think for myself; I never thought I would have been able to pull this project off on my own.”

The extra measure of autonomy motivated Beatrice to become a self-learner by exploring her interests, while her educators guided her through the experience.

Students invest heavily in their academic achievement and personal growth when they connect their interests with their studies and the real world. However, traditional schools typically teach a “one-size-fits-all” curriculum that is not conducive to the IBL strategy.

Tuition-free, state-certified online learning, on the other hand, is an ideal alternative for families who want to take advantage of IBL benefits.

A parent learning how to help their student through interest-based learning.

What Does Research Say About Interest-Based Learning?

The student-centric approach motivates children to draw on many real-world sources to create a cycle of learning. Instead of proceeding on a fixed line—learn one thing, store it, then go on to the next— students go from mastering one concept to becoming curious about what comes next.

Learning based on children’s interests, then, is limited only by the child’s ability to ask questions—with the guidance of a Learning Coach or teacher— and research bears out the positive impact of the IBL model.

David Yeager, a respected educational researcher, found strong links between persistence in finding answers and interest-based learning activities. Even when schoolwork became challenging, students who connected what they were learning with their interests were more likely to stick with the problem until they’d worked their way through it successfully.

“Conversely, school structures and curriculum that seem outmoded, or actively opposed to student input, can push students, especially the most marginalized, to disengage or even drop out of school entirely.”
Research published in the journal Autism asked parents of preschoolers to identify their children’s interests and community activities. Students were separated into two groups based on their level of interest in the identified activities. Parents then implemented a four-month-long intervention based on the interests of their children with autism and found:

“The high interest-based group made considerably more developmental progress compared to the low interest-based group.”
The National Quality Standard Professional Learning Program warns that coaches, parents, and teachers should not surrender the learning experience to students. Their role as mentor and facilitator is critical to guiding children effectively.

“It can help if we think about using children’s interests rather than just following them. Our focus should be on where an idea leads, rather than its source.”

Interest-based learning is a model for lifelong learning. Children whose interests are embedded in their education are more likely to stay engaged through school and college and into whatever follows. Because learning itself becomes an interest, they become self-motivated to build on their knowledge.

A student pursuing interest-based learning activities.

What Are the Best Ways to Use Homeschool Topics of Interest?

The flexibility of online education makes it an ideal alternative to traditional, in-person education and the “stand and deliver, sage on a stage” style of teaching. Having a voice in setting their school day schedule allows them to blend their interests into the learning.

Connections Academy® schools believe that no two students learn alike, which is why it’s a priority for families to make decisions around courses and scheduling to meet a student’s needs and embrace each student’s unique qualities and dreams.

For instance, online schools encourage learning outside the box. Literally. Is your student interested in animals? Interest-based learning activities might include taking your student to the zoo to connect their biology lessons with future patients.

In addition to a dedicated learning area for online schoolwork, create a Maker Space. Kids like to see how things work. And when they’re coached to make things that are connected to what they are learning, they nurture their natural creativity, practice critical-thinking skills, challenge their imaginations, and come up with effective solutions to real-world problems.

If your teen is interested in community service or volunteering, the scheduling flexibility of remote learning lets them shape their school day to accommodate volunteer activities, which include virtual opportunities to give back. And, flexible scheduling enables parents and students to build time for those activities into the learning day.

Interest-based learning is all about identifying students’ interests, stoking their curiosity to know more about them, and guiding them to satisfy that curiosity. When students start asking questions, regions of their brains associated with reward, memory, and motivation actually “fire up” with activity. In other words, curiosity can be a great motivator that makes the brain sincerely want to learn.

Discover how Connections Academy can help you create a safe, interest-based learning environment for your elementary student, middle- or high-schooler, request the free eGuide, visit the Resource Hub or join an online information session.