Author ORCID Identifier
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
6-7-2023
DOI
Abstract
Brain anatomy is typically taught using static images. We asked participants to use their own hands to represent the brain and perform gestures during learning. We measured learning via a pretest/postest design. We compared five video trainings in which participants heard similar audio and repeated terminology aloud. Conditions were: (1) Image: Participants saw images of a physical model of the brain. (2) Physical model: Participants saw hands pointing to the physical model. (3) Physical model + action: Participants performed actions on the physical model. (4) Hand model: Participants saw images of hands being used to represent the brain. (5) Hand model + action: Participants performed gestures seen in the video. All trainings improved post-test performance. Performance in the hand model condition was worse compared to conditions with action. We connect these findings to the larger claim that gesture benefits learning.
Keywords
action, brain anatomy, embodiment, gesture, learning, multimedia
Publication Title
Applied Cognitive Psychology
Volume
37
Issue
5
First Page
967
Last Page
979
Rights
© 2023 The Authors. Applied Cognitive Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Parrill, F., Shymanski, J. J., & Cook, S. W. (2023). Using the hands to learn about the brain: Testing action-based instruction in brain anatomy. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 37(5), 967–979. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.4093