Learning Through Action

Teachers have long struggled to help students grasp complex STEM concepts. One approach that's gaining attention is embodied cognition, which suggests that connecting abstract ideas to physical actions and sensations can improve learning. In the classroom, educators often use techniques like gesturing and drawing to help students understand. But which method works best, and does it depend on what students already know?

Researchers recently explored this question in an introductory college course on statistics and data science. They created instructional videos that showed either gesturing or drawing, and then had students reenact what they saw. The results were surprising: for students who didn't know much about the subject beforehand, gesturing worked better than drawing. But for students who already had a good foundation, both methods worked equally well.

This study highlights the importance of considering students' prior knowledge when choosing teaching methods. It's unlikely that one approach will work for everyone, so educators need to be flexible and adapt their techniques to meet the needs of their students. By understanding how different teaching methods interact with students' existing knowledge, teachers can create more effective learning experiences.

The study's findings also have practical implications for the classroom. For example, teachers could use gesturing to help students who are struggling with a concept, and then switch to drawing as students become more confident. By tailoring their approach to the needs of their students, educators can help ensure that everyone has a chance to succeed.

Embodied cognition is a promising area of research that could lead to new insights into how we learn. By exploring the connection between physical actions and abstract ideas, scientists may be able to develop even more effective teaching methods that help students grasp complex concepts.