title: Gesture enhances learning of a complex statistical concept.
abstract: Prior research has shown that gestures that co-occur with speech can improve understanding of abstract concepts by embodying the underlying meaning of those concepts, thereby making them more accessible to the listener. The present study examined the effect of gesture on undergraduate students' learning of a complex statistical concept (analysis of variance; ANOVA). Students in three classes watched a brief video in which the speaker explained the conceptual background of ANOVA while using gesture and students in three other classes saw a similar video with the same speech, but no gesture. Students who saw the gesture learned significantly more, as measured by the increase in scores between a pre-test and a post-test. These results suggest that teachers can enhance students' learning through the strategic use of gesture.
authors.affiliation: Psychology Department, Northeastern Illinois University, 5500 N St Louis Ave, Chicago, IL 60625 USA.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-0286-3363
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rueckert
authors.affiliation: Psychology Department, Northeastern Illinois University, 5500 N St Louis Ave, Chicago, IL 60625 USA.
authors.forename: Ruth Breckinridge
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Church
authors.affiliation: Psychology Department, Northeastern Illinois University, 5500 N St Louis Ave, Chicago, IL 60625 USA.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Avila
authors.affiliation: Psychology Department, Northeastern Illinois University, 5500 N St Louis Ave, Chicago, IL 60625 USA.
authors.forename: Theresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Trejo