Pointing and tracing gestures may enhance anatomy and physiology learning.
BACKGROUND
Currently, instructional effects generated by Cognitive load theory (CLT) are limited to visual and auditory cognitive processing. In contrast, "embodied cognition" perspectives suggest a range of gestures, including pointing, may act to support communication and learning, but there is relatively little research showing benefits of such "embodied learning" in the health sciences.


OBJECTIVE
This study investigated whether explicit instructions to gesture enhance learning through its cognitive effects.


METHODS
Forty-two university-educated adults were randomly assigned to conditions in which they were instructed to gesture, or not gesture, as they learnt from novel, paper-based materials about the structure and function of the human heart. Subjective ratings were used to measure levels of intrinsic, extraneous and germane cognitive load.


RESULTS
Participants who were instructed to gesture performed better on a knowledge test of terminology and a test of comprehension; however, instructions to gesture had no effect on subjective ratings of cognitive load.


CONCLUSIONS
This very simple instructional re-design has the potential to markedly enhance student learning of typical topics and materials in the health sciences and medicine.
The University of Sydney , Australia.
Lucy
L
Macken
Paul
P
Ginns
D000328:Adult; D000715:Anatomy / Q000193:education; D003142:Communication; D032882:Comprehension / Q000502:physiology*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D005868:Gestures; D006321:Heart / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017145:Models, Educational; D010827:Physiology / Q000193:education; D011588:Psychology, Educational; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*