Should Learners Use Their Hands for Learning? Results From an Eye-Tracking Study

• In Event: Poster Session 12
  In Poster Session: Division C Poster Session

Abstract

Theories of embodied cognition and integrating body movement in learning and teaching are recently discussed. The goal of the present study is to provide an explanation for the beneficial effects of finger gestures for learning success. A two-group design (N=60) was used, with one group performing pointing and tracing gestures with their hands on the surface of a learning instruction and the other group learning without using their hands for learning. The results show that the beneficial effect for pointing and tracing gestures can be explained by a shift of the learners’ focus of attention towards the processing of important pictorial information and a higher engagement in schema construction.

Authors

• Babette Park, Justus Liebig University of Giessen

• Andreas Korbach, Saarland University

• Paul W. Ginns, The University of Sydney

• Roland Bruenken, Saarland University