You can set up a debate about anything that you cover and give students opposing roles—someone arguing for a particular method of plate presentation and another student arguing for a different format. If given the assignment ahead of time, they will think about the options and come up with lots of information.

It engenders curiosity about what they want to say and what they think the other person might say, and most of them do not want to embarrass themselves in front of their peers.

Contradiction
Another way to promote curiosity and creativity involves teaching contradictory points in the same class period. If you can find paradoxical principles or situations where there are conflicting ways of doing things, such as preparing meals, organizing buffets or developing menus, then you can pose the two (or more) methods and get students to discuss the differences between the two.

Then have them come up with yet another way of preparing a food item, organizing a dining room or marketing a restaurant. It promotes their thinking about other ways of doing things and often triggers them to Google the topic, which at least moves them away from a reliance on your lectures and the textbook.

Although many of us find ourselves in the position of having to provide information over and over again, sometimes the ideas, principles or methods we are trying to impart stick in students’ minds relatively quickly. In that situation, try disagreeing with your students as a way of promoting their thinking. Try playing devil’s advocate and show an alternative point of view when you teach important theories or techniques.

In my teaching, I often tell students who are trying to get me to tell them the “right answer” that I will not provide the answer, and actually I pose alternative solutions. Sometimes I give them the wrong answers (usually in an exaggerated manner) to get them to wonder what is the real answer. This strategy can unnerve them, but it encourages—or requires—them to really think about what they are hearing.

Colleagues
The third way to promote curiosity requires getting students to work together on projects in trios—best for encouraging creative thinking and analysis. That way, it is not easy for them to agree too easily with each other.

Even simply getting students to present the work that they have done in teams prompts them to think about what they want to say and how to say it. Assigning them to work together involves them in discussions that trigger questions and alternative ways of thinking. Getting them to ask their teammates for their options or getting students to debate with each other promotes more curiosity about the topic. They also learn how to persuade each other and work together in teams.

Summary
Thank you for reading this column about strategies for promoting curiosity in students. Next month, we will discuss strategies for retaining students in our classes and our programs. If you have suggestions for other topics or teaching practices you want to share, send them to me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and I will include them in future “Mayo’s Clinics.”

Dr. Fred Mayo, CHE, CHT, was most recently a clinical professor at New York University. Principal of Mayo Consulting Services, he continues to teach around the globe, and is a frequent presenter at CAFÉ events nationwide. His latest book, Planning an Applied Research Project in Hospitality, Tourism, and Sports (Wiley, 2013), debuted last autumn.