Gestures are widely used among individuals throughout the world. A gesture can be defined as a movement of a body part. They are used to express an idea. Gestures are universal because they can be seen as a language that convey the same meaning regardless of an individual’s spoken language or culture. They are widely used because they are simple and easy to remember. It is fascinating how gestures are used to speak to blind people who also use them even though they have never seen gestures. Researchers are inspired to study gestures because of how simple, yet how important they are in our daily lives.
Dr. Elizabeth Wakefield presented about how gestures enhance learning. In the article, “Learning math by hand: The neural effects of gesture-based instruction in 8-year-old children”, the researchers examined the neural basis of how gestures promote learning in children. There were two groups that were taught math problems through different conditions. The first group was taught through gesture and speech while the second group was taught through only speech. Next, fMRI was used to observe the neural patterns while the children solved math problems. They found that the children scored better when they learned through both speech and gesture than when they learned through speech alone. They discovered that the motor system is activated when the children solve the problem that was taught using gestures. They found evidence that gestures lead to a lasting neural trace in the motor system which is activated when solving a similar problem. The researchers were able to conclude that gesture engages the motor system in the learning process which helps children learn better.
In the research article, “From hands to minds: Gestures promote understanding”, the researchers studied learning through gestures in native English university students that had no background in technology and engineering. They examined whether the dynamic system with gestures that represent the actions of the system could improve understanding of the dynamic system. The dynamic system is made up of two layers which are structural and dynamic. The structural layer is easier to understand and is made up of the parts. The dynamic layer is made up many types of actions, processes, and consequences. One group of students watched the video about the system with verbal explanations and gestures. Thy found that these students had a better understanding of the system which was seen in their visual and oral explanations. The visual explanation included more details about the stages of the system and the oral explanation included more descriptive words. The researchers were able to conclude that watching an explanation of the system with gestures was more beneficial in understanding than only seeing gestures representing the structures of the system.
The two studies are correlated because they both present that gestures are crucial to learning. Whether children learn math problems through gestures or university students learn a technological system through gestures, they both demonstrate a better understanding post training. These studies present compelling data that validate that gestures are helpful in learning and understanding regardless of age. Although gestures are very simple, there are many more different studies that can be conducted to further understand them in various contexts.
Works Cited
Kang, S., Tversky, B. From hands to minds: Gestures promote understanding. Cogn.
Research 1, 4 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41235-016-0004-9
Wakefield, Elizabeth M., et al. “Learning math by hand: The neural effects of gesture-based
instruction in 8-year-old children. Attention, Perception, and Psychophysics.The
Psychonomic Society, Inc, 2019. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13414-019-01755-y
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