Students are more motivated to learn things that they believe are worth learning. In this SET, students look for connections between course material and recent events or developments that they find via online news sites, printed news sources, or broadcast media. They then write in a journal or post on a blog how course material applies to these current affairs.

This technique deepens student understanding of course-related ideas and concepts and helps them to appreciate the value of what they are learning in the classroom by making it easier for them to see its relevance to the real world.