Sixteenth International Conference on Technology, Knowledge & Society

Abstract

Embodied learning refers to activities and environments that are designed to forge explicit connections between target concepts and students’ body movements—such as their gestures or the manipulation of objects. Emerging technologies such as augmented and mixed reality offer unique opportunities to build these connections by embedding students within simulations and affording them tangible interactions with dynamic visualizations. In this presentation, I try to distill some of the core and generally-agreed-upon tenets of the embodied nature of learning and discuss how they have been and can be applied to the design of technology-enhanced learning environments. I will present empirical data collected on several projects where we designed embodied STEM educational simulations and assessed student learning compared to traditional or less-embodied forms of instruction. I will conclude with broader implications for the design of educational technology across content areas and across contexts (i.e., both formal and informal).