Grounding Erosion: Are Congruent Gestures and Learning Related?
Summary
A quasi-experimental design was set up to determine whether congruent gestures are
related to learning, when learning about erosion facilitated by an Augmented Reality
Sandbox. Congruent gestures are gestures that are analogically related to the meaning
of a concept, in this case erosion. It is thought that by using congruent gestures, students
ground erosion in the brain’s modal system, thereby making erosion immediately
meaningful to them. A total of 62 participants (84% male, 16% female, aged 11-15)
from two secondary schools (VMBO and VWO) was randomly divided into the hands
condition (Hands) or scoops condition (Scoops). Hands were able to manipulate sand
with their hands, whereas Scoops received a sand scoop to manipulate sand with. It was
assumed that these conditions stimulated either congruent gestures (hands condition) or
incongruent gestures (scoops condition). Pre- and posttest scores were analyzed as well
as video recordings. Results show that there is no significant difference in learning gain
between Hands and Scoops (t(60) = 1.42, p = .162), but there was an effect size of d =
0.36. Furthermore, Scoops spend more time making congruent gestures than Hands. The
discussion speculates about the possible negative impact that not being able to touch
sand might have had on learning gain.