The greatest learning happens when reality is greater than our expectations! In fact, this is a growth pattern! Moments such as these are truely memorable, and provoke us to action. The emotion at the heart of this outcome is surprise. And the trigger is called a discrepant event.
Empty space, drag to resize
Provocation
To provoke is to challenge!
The word provoke is made of 2 parts. Pro is the word use to give a sense of forward, toward the front. The word voke is related to voice.
So.. To provoke is to - call attention forward and challenge.
The trigger point is surprise!
This essentially buys the attention of the observer.
The second part is to challenge.
So you would need to ensure they have enough resources and knowledge to chase the outcome, to gain control.
Discrepant events are that trigger point.
They are the spark that ignites the fire of the mind, and leads a learner to new heights of knowledge and control.
Satisfaction
It's all about personal satisfaction!
After the learning do you feel empty? or full? If you feel full, you have developed something we call knowledge. The purpose of a discrepant event is to
1. give you the kick of surprise 2. to make you curious 3. to move you to investigate 4. gain control of the new learning 5. to gain skill
Ultimately, to grow as a human being! So discrepant events are a precious resource to a teacher. They are transformative and powerful!
Additional Reading
More Discrepant Events
Explore a whole range of discrepant events that spark curiosity
