When learning at a young
age it is easy to become distracted and easily confused by new and intimidating
subjects. A way to better engage young learners and have them best obtain the
information they are learning can be done through gesturing. In a study done by
Elizabeth M. Wakefield et al. called “Learning math by hand: The neural effects
of gesture-based instruction in 8-year-old children” they analyzed the affects
of gesturing on learning. Their study examined the “neural correlates
underlying how children solve mathematical equivalence problems learned with
the help of either a speech + gesture strategy, or a speech alone strategy”
(Wakefield et al., 2019). This study was one of the first studies to explore “neural
mechanisms of learning through gesture” and it was critical for their work that
they would be studying differences in how the task was learned rather than how
well the task was learned (Wakefield et al., 2019). During their study they
used a math-learning paradigm in which they had 7-9 year old’s answer math
questions after being placed in a gesture or non-gesture condition of a one-on-one
math lesson (Wakefield et al., 2019). After doing this they were able to collect
data from performing brain analyses of the participants in an fMRI scan, considering
both data from participants within the same training condition and effects of
training condition on their ability to process mathematical equivalence
problems (Wakefield et al., 2019). What their work found was that learning
through gesture leads to lasting and embedded neural trace of motor system
(Wakefield et al., 2019). The work of their study provided evidence for the
benefit of gesturing in learning of young students and how gesture aided
lessons are better for the student to learn and apply to solving individual
problems.
Considering the current
event of Coronavirus changing most aspects of our normal routines. One thing I
have noticed personally as a student and through observation of family and
friends is that learning online is hard. Going from strictly in class education
to a fully virtual environment has been a tough change for many individuals.
One of the reasons for why this new form of learning is so hard is partially
due to the lack of interaction between students and teachers including things we
would normally experience such as gesturing and visual aids. Online learning
for my self has mostly been hearing a teacher talk over a power point, seeing
at most the teachers face and either more unfamiliar faces or little black boxes
representing my fellow classmates. This learning often lacks the gesturing
needed to accompany teacher’s speech in creating engaging and beneficial
lectures. A study that investigates the benefits of gesture in videotaped learning
is called “The Role of Instructional Gesture in Learning Science Concepts in
Undergraduate Students” by Andrea J. Fogarty. This study not only furthers the evidence
found in Wakefield et al. study on the benefit of gesturing, but it also
applies the work on gesturing to college age students who are learning through a
technological environment.
In this study, Fogarty discusses
how gesture facilitates learning, discussing the reality that “representational
gestures are often spontaneously produced by both instructors and learners
while verbally explaining abstract and spatial concepts in science and
mathematical problem-solving” (Fogarty, 2018). She also discusses is that “both
spontaneous and rehearsed gestures have promoted more learning in comparison to
no gestures in both math and science learning” (Fogarty, 2018). What this means
is that student and teachers meaning to gesture or not does not affect the
benefit it brings, by instinctually gesturing or planning it out does not
change the benefit. This also means that often times student and teachers may
be gesturing and receiving the benefit of gesturing without knowing it. Could
this be a reason why students are feeling that online learning is so much
harder? And if so, how can we create a learning system that is best able to
enhance the learning environment for students from a virtual system? Well, as
we will see the work that Fogarty did in the rest of her study may be helpful
for teachers doing online learning and will “encourage instructors to produce
representational gestures with their accompanying speech, especially with
abstract topics with novice learners” (Fogarty, 2018).
In the study done by
Fogarty, she created the videotaped conditions in which a teacher was describing
the scientific concept of tectonic plates would be doing a representational gesture
(hand gestures as well as pointing and tracing visual aids) , a beat gesture
(tapping on the leg in sync with the speech), and no gesture. From her study
with 45 undergraduate college students each watching one the videotaped (7 min)
lectures then completing a posttest she could see that learning increased in
all conditions but were highest from pretest to posttest in the representational
gesture condition (Fogarty, 2018). This study presents a lot of evidence for
understanding the benefits of gesturing as well as providing instructors with ideas
on improving online learning so that it is as effective as possible for
students and teachers (Fogarty, 2018). Suggestions such as lecturing “in-person”
over the camera versus recording lectures over slides. As well as incorporating
more gestures overall to a lecture which will allow students to see you demonstrate
and show mechanisms or demonstrations for the information. In one of my classes
I had a teacher that said multiple times in a prerecorded lecture where we
could not see her face, that if it were a normal class she would be able to
show us, or have us do an activity to better conceptualize the information. But,
with evidence from Fogarty’s work teachers and school systems can create a
better online experience for all students by changing the ways they deliver
their lectures and take advantage of the many abilities technology gives us.
In both Wakefield et al.
and Fogarty’s studies they provided evidence of gestures increasing learning by
making more abstract concepts such as math and science become more concrete to
the learner. Both of these studies span a large age group which shows that from
a very young age to higher forms of education gesturing is always beneficial
for learning more difficult concepts, and should be a focus at all levels of
education. During this time when we are nationally and globally facing Covid-19,
taking in the evidence and ideas presented in these two studies will help to
enhance online learning for all, making an environment foreign to most students
as effective and beneficial as possible.
Citations
Fogarty,
Andrea J., (2018). The Role of Instructional Gesture in Learning Science Concepts
in Undergraduate Students. BSU Honors Program Theses and Projects. Item
289. https://vc.bridgew.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1273&context=honors_proj.
Wakefield,
E. M., Congdon, E. L., Novack, M. A., Goldin-Meadow, S., James, K. H., (2019). Learning
math by hand: The neural effects of gesture-based instruction in 8-year-old
children. Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13414-019-01755-y.
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