The Impact of Prior Knowledge on Learning Through Reenacted Drawing and Gesture

• In Event: Embodied Learning in Mathematics: Gesture, Drawing, and Model Manipulation for Enhanced Learning

Abstract

This experiment examines how embodied pedagogies, specifically drawing and gesturing, affect abstract learning in complex domains such as statistics and data science. Undergraduate students were randomly assigned to either the Draw or Gesture condition as they learned about statistical models. Results indicated that learners with low prior knowledge benefited more from gesturing, while those with higher prior knowledge gained more from drawing. These findings highlight the importance of sensorimotor engagement and suggest that the effectiveness of embodied pedagogies depends on students' prior knowledge. This research opens new discussions about the mechanisms of learning with embodied pedagogies and provides insights for designing instructional activities.

Authors

• Icy Yunyi Zhang, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Ji Son, California State University - Los Angeles

• Zoey Yi Zhao, University of California - Los Angeles