After almost three years of a pandemic, many schools have still not fully emerged from online instruction. Though the big question is how effective is online instruction? A study done at UPenn’s Wharton School found that online learning during the pandemic had an overall negative impact on student learning. Lack of peer interaction and lack of motivation was stated to play a role. Another study was done by the School of Medicine of the University of Tasmania in Australia compared test performances of undergraduates learning using online vs in-person mode of instruction. The study found that test performances between the two modes did not differ greatly. Though students experienced greater engagement when they participated in face-to-face instruction. With in-person instruction, students received immediate feedback using gestures and facial expressions which led to students feeling more engaged and focused. This relates to the study done by Dr. Wakefield which found the benefits of gesture-based learning instruction in 8-year old’s learning math.
Dr. Wakefield’s study found that gestures are an extremely important tool for facilitating learning. Children who learn using both speech and gesture recruit more motor areas than children who learn through using speech alone. This suggests that speech and gesture instruction help promote learning as children being taught in this format activate more brain networks. This subsequently helps children create more connections in the brain with the material and therefore retain it. fMRI was used to measure brain activation in kids who were taught with speech alone and with kids taught with both speech + gesture. Kids with both speech + gesture displayed greater activation. It was also seen that when gestures are used kids can move their focus more effectively, helping them learn their material. With speech alone, the focus would be on the person who is speaking, and kids won't be able to create connections as effectively with the material. When gestures are used you can visually make connections with the material which facilitates learning.
Though online instruction makes it, so gestures are not always able to be used. For certain STEM classes, in particular, gesture-based learning is an important way to make connections with the material. A study conducted in New York found that most STEM majors said they learn more when they are in person rather than online. This is likely because STEM classes require a more hands-on approach, learning through the use of models and gestures. Though this is not to say that online learning does not have its benefits. The study conducted at the University of Tasmania found that both online and in-person instruction resulted in relatively equal test scores. Many students found individual assignments like papers and writing assignments to be much more beneficial online. They also found that discussions online were more meaningful because peers were more comfortable discussing online rather than in person.
Overall, both in-person and online instruction has their benefits. Though its effectiveness varies on the subjects being taught. For STEM classes, gesture-based learning is very important to be able to make connections with the material. The use of gestures and models would not be as easily or effectively done online as it would in person. Though non-STEM-based classes would likely not find gesture-based learning as important which makes online instruction effective for them.
Wakefield, Elizabeth M., et al. “Learning math by hand: The neural effects of gesture-based instruction in 8-year-old children” Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics. 2019. Wakefield et al. (2019)_APP.pdf
Patel, Dee. “Online Learning’s Impact on Student Performance.” Penn Today, University of Pennsylvania, 25 June 2021, https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/online-learnings-impact-student-performance. Accessed 30 Apr. 2022.
Kemp, Nenagah., et al. “Face-to-face or face-to-screen? Undergraduates' opinions and test performance in classroom vs. online learning”. Front. Psychol., 12 November 2014. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01278/full
Banks, D., et al. "Online and In-Person Learning Preferences during the COVID-19 Pandemic among Students Attending the City University of New York" Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education. 29 April 2022. https://journals.asm.org/doi/full/10.1128/jmbe.00012-22
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