What does it mean to be engaging?

Last week, I was at Steven Dow's thesis defense. Steven was studying "embodied narrative engagement" -- storytelling in an augmented reality. As any good Ph.D. student should, he offered definitions of all his critical terms, including "engagement."

Given our theme for this year, I thought that it might be useful to share some of the quotes that he offered on "engagement."

• Coleridge, 1817: Engagement is a "willing suspension of disbelief."
• Nell, 1988: It's to be "lost" (as in a book).
• Janet Murray in her 1997 book Hamlet on the Holodeck: Engagement is to "confront questions of human existence."
• Bolter and Grusin in their 1999 book Remediation: Engagement is an "authentic emotional experience."
• Green and Brock, 2000: Engagement is to be "emotionally involved."

How many of these correspond to our notion of "engagement" in the classroom? Do we aim for students getting "lost" in the "authentic experience"? Do we reach for students being "emotionally involved"?

I look forward to seeing your definitions of engagement in your SIGCSE 2009 submissions, due this coming Friday, August 29!