Improved Cognitive Function using Gesture Based Learning in Children

    Gesture-based learning is an interactive form of learning that requires fine motor skills and use of action, which can lead to learning advantages in children. Gesture based learning is a common usage of facilitated learning that can effect a wide variety of academic domains, as well as strengthen neural correlates in the brain. Using gesture based instruction in classroom settings to teach different academic subjects can be beneficial and show significant neural effects in children. There has been research conducted using gesture based learning with children, and the positive implications it has on brain activation and the recruitment of the motor system, which enabled long lasting effects on neural correlates and learning acquisition of specific academic domains.

    For instance, research has been conducted on gesture-based learning using gestures and speech to teach children mathematics, while observing neural differences in children who learn through speech only versus gesture and speech. In the study, Learning math by hand: The neural effects of gesture-based instruction in 8-year-old children: the researchers investigated the usage of gestures along with speech with eight year old children while teaching them to solve "mathematical equivalence problems" and observing regions of activation through "functional magnetic resonance imaging" (Wakefield et al., 2019). The mathematical problems consisted of 'a+b=c__+c', which were presented to the children prior to the fMRI screening, in which they used neuroimaging to scan 'areas of activation' between children who learned through speech + gestures vs. children who learned through 'gesture alone' (Wakefield et al., 2019).  The researchers found that the group that learned the mathematical problems with gesture had 'greater activation in a number of regions' while the group who learned only through speech didn't exhibit greater activation in comparison to the experimental group (Wakefield et al., 2019). The areas of activation extended to motor regions in the brain, indicating that the motor system was recruited during the learning process, which in turn can lead to lingering learning effects for the children solving mathematical equivalence problems after the experiment. 

      Furthermore, more research has been conducted on children focusing on gesture based learning, but focusing on other neural correlates, such as working memory, while using computer generated gestures to facilitate learning. The study, Improving the Working Memory During Early Childhood Education Through the Use of an Interactive Gesture Game-Based Learning approach: The researchers studied five to six year olds and observed working memory and mathematical skills, implementing a 'human-computer interaction' in the form of nine digital games that engage the learner and induce gestures, which are detected by a 'somatosensory device' (Alzubi et al., 2018). The digital games include both educational content and the gaming content. The control group undergoes 'standard educational methods' without the game based learning (Alzubi et al., 2018). The researchers found that the control group attained lower scores after the program compared to the experimental group for both working memory and mathematical skills, which indicates an improvement in the development of both variables in the group that underwent interactive gesture based-learning (Alzubi et al., 2018). 

    Both studies can be potentially important for future research in gesture-based learning. It provides an innovative approach for facilitated learning that can help children learn different academic domains, while also strengthening neural correlates, such as working memory. Studies on gesture-based learning can promote classrooms to incorporate a more engaged and beneficial learning environment. 

                                                                    Work Cited

Alzubi, T., Fernandez, R., Flores, J., Duran, M., & Cotos, J. M. (2018). Improving the working memory during early childhood education through the use of an interactive gesture game-based learning approach. IEEE Access, 6, 53998–54009. https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2018.2870575

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, 81(7), 2343–2353. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13414-019-01755-y