Embodying Engineering Students' Knowledge Through Gesture

• In Event: Postsecondary Learners in Computing and Engineering Education

Abstract

Engineering education is often steeped in complex formalisms that rarely draw upon the personal experiences of students. This formalisms first approach limits students’ abilities to reason about physical phenomena grounded in their experiences. Progressive formalization intentionally introduces sensorimotor experiences (i.e., gesture) that ground students when conceptualizing about physical phenomena. Gesture is a powerful communicative tool that can elicit students’ emerging knowledge when reasoning about engineering concepts. The current investigation observes how students use gesture when reasoning during lab activities and how gesture can be used in formative assessments. Results indicated that students’ gestures reveal their understandings about torsion and that instances of gesture-speech mismatch can provide instructors with new opportunities for formative assessment beyond those afforded only by speech.

Authors

• Matthew M. Grondin, University of Wisconsin - Madison
  Presenting Author

• Doy Kim, University of Wisconsin-Madison
  Non-Presenting Author

• Christopher Raymond
  Non-Presenting Author

• Claire Huggett, University of Wisconsin - Madison
  Non-Presenting Author

• Arushi Pandey, University of Wisconsin - Madison
  Non-Presenting Author

• Camila De Leon, University of Wisconsin - Madison
  Non-Presenting Author

• Madeline Morrell, University of Wisconsin - Madison
  Non-Presenting Author

• Michael I. Swart, University of Wisconsin - Madison
  Non-Presenting Author

• Fangli Xia, University of Wisconsin - Madison
  Non-Presenting Author

• Mitchell J. Nathan, University of Wisconsin - Madison
  Non-Presenting Author