Back to Gladwell. Again.

In The Tipping Point, Gladwell asserts that for a concept to tip (i.e., become a trend), it must be sticky: it must effectively attract adopters. Simple enough in theory. In practice, however, it’s quite complex.

For the past couple weeks I’ve been mentally outlining and writing my new Music Appreciation syllabus for the fall semester. Though I’ve taught the subject for six semesters, it was as a T.A. and my syllabus and content adhered to the general outline of my bosses’ syllabi. Now I enjoy the opportunity, as professor, to have full autonomy. (My only constraint is that I coordinate a general curriculum with another professor, who will be teaching separate classes on the same subject.) This is very exciting, as I believe that, if taught correctly, Music Appreciation could serve as a welcome common ground for musicians and non-musicians alike. (This is the subject I want to teach, more than any other.)

More than content, though, my biggest concern lately is: how do I make the subject sticky? What will engage the students to the point where it becomes more than just a required class, but something that’s relevant and they feel invested in? While I still am very much a student of teaching, my consistently positive student reviews keep me from worrying about the mechanics of my teaching. Instead, I focus on stickiness. While I do have a number of possible solutions floating around in my head, I prefer they crystallize more before sharing them here. But the question is important enough, I feel, that it needs to be presented, as it’s something that should be taken into consideration when teaching any subject. What makes it sticky, and how can that be effectively translated to the student?