Cheating feels like an unavoidable reality—but what if the antidote isn’t stricter policies or plagiarism checkers, but emotion? Neuroscience tells us that students are more likely to invest in what they find meaningful. The question is, how do we help them care?

We catch up with renowned speaker, author, and educator Flower Darby to explore the link between emotion and learning—and how fostering connection, and even embracing our own likeability can nudge students to do the work that learning requires.
Guest Bio
An internationally-renowned instructor, author, and speaker, Flower Darby inspires educators to bring an equity-minded lens to enhance their teaching practices. As Associate Director of the Teaching for Learning Center at the University of Missouri, she draws on 28+ years of teaching across diverse subjects and modalities. Darby’s work empowers faculty to create inclusive learning experiences, and her publications include The Norton Guide to Equity-Minded Teaching (2023) and Small Teaching Online (2019).

Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/higherlistenings
Higher Listenings is brought to you by Top Hat
Subscribe, leave a comment or review, and help us share stories of the people shaping the future of higher education.