I wonder if students know that sitting in front of a computer screen all day is not only tiring, but the associated lack of physical activity and the use of only two senses could actually be hindering their ability to learn, by limiting many of the sense-making abilities of their bodies? It's all thanks to a concept called embodied cognition, which explores the role of the body in thinking and learning.
According to research on embodied cognition, the body must be interacting with the world in order to activate and open up the mind for learning. That is why students who work with a variety of tools and materials while learning are better able to grasp abstract concepts. Asking students to sit still while performing their work actually increases their cognitive load. It requires them to concentrate on quieting their bodies, which are seeking out ways to make sense of the world, as well as on the primary task at hand.
But it's not just about physical activity; our environment also plays a role in our cognitive processes. The technologies and tools we use, the people we collaborate with, and the places we go all have an impact on our thoughts and feelings. Our minds assemble these experiences and make meaning from them, informed by our past experiences. This is why learning new skills, like safely crossing the road, takes practice. Over time, our brains use input from our senses to recognise when it's a good time to cross.
Gesture is another important aspect of embodied cognition. Not only do our hand movements, head turns, and shrugs add emphasis and nuance to our spoken words, they also help us form our thoughts into words before we speak. In problem-solving scenarios, research shows that many math learners' gestures reveal their understanding of strategies before they can articulate those solutions through speech. Educators who are trained to look for and understand gesture can see a learner's progress and process in understanding concepts before the student is able to translate that understanding into speech or written work.
Active learning, which can include activities such as role-playing, hands-on projects, and group discussions is another example of embodied cognition as it involves physical movement and interaction with the environment. When students are actively participating in the learning process, they are using their senses and physical movements to make sense of the information and apply it to real-world situations. In contrast, traditional teaching methods that rely on lectures and reading assignments are more passive and rely on the students' mental processing alone. These approaches do not engage the body in the learning process, and may be less effective at promoting long-term retention and understanding of the material.
Another example of embodied cognition is the way we use metaphors to understand and communicate abstract concepts. For example, when we talk about love being a "warm" feeling, or a difficult decision being a "heavy" burden, we are using physical sensations to describe intangible emotions or experiences. This is because our brains are wired to make connections between our physical and mental experiences, and metaphors can help us better understand and communicate abstract concepts.
So what does all of this mean for the future of education? It's important for educators to incorporate the body into learning environments in order to support learning. This can include normalising movement during classes, using gesture to explain concepts, and creating opportunities for students to engage with their environment (even by allowing their gaze to wander). If you are physically in "tunnel vision" mode, it's harder to be expansive in your thinking. By recognising the importance of embodied cognition, we can create more effective learning experiences for all students.
Great points. I’ve enjoyed poking around through the studies you’ve linked in. I’m exploring the idea of use hand signs for memory recall and encoding through a series of whole body gestures in a TikTok style dance. I’ll be exploring these approaches across the next few weeks in more detail.