- When discussing your practice, describe a topic that you teach that you think would benefit from an embodied learning approach and explain why.
- E-Portfolio: How could you use what is developed in these studies to design learning experiences for younger learners that incorporates perception/motion activity and digital technologies? What would younger children learn through this TELE (technology-enhanced learning experience)?
The notion that your body influences your mind is the central premise of Winn, W. (2003) article and that learning occurs when people adapt to their environment. Winn, W. (2003) claimed that “we must think of the learner as embedded in the learning environment and physically active in it, so that cognition can be thought of as embodied as well as cerebral activity” (p. 3). Additionally, Lindgren, R., & Johnson-Glenberg, M. (2013) research showed conceptual development and comprehension are enhanced with the creation and manipulation through engaging and interacting with your physical surroundings. Moreover, they found that Mixed Reality (MR) technologies, virtual environments, are “well suited for facilitating embodied learning because they combine physical activity with salient and compelling representational supports” (p. 447).
Personally, I have seen a rapid shift in the classroom where students can connect with abstracts concepts in virtual and online learning environments. Klopfer, E., & Sheldon, J. (2010) noted that participatory simulations “enables students to see the world around them in new ways and engage with realistic issues in a context with which students already connected” (p. 86).
I am lucky to be part of my school division’s STEAM Cohort (mostly elementary teachers) which incorporates art (A) with the standards of science, technology, engineering and math. We recently changed a typical paper-and-pencil animal research project to more immersive and embodied by incorporating Mixed Reality aspects.
Design Challenge: Can you create an animal that would help you SURVIVE?
Note: Station 1 uses the Animal VR cards https://youtu.be/dN1XYJl3_0s. The cards provide the opportunity for the students bring the animals to “live” and by connecting the animals with other cards (food, predators or prey). As Klopfer, E., & Sheldon, J. (2010) concluded these embodied environments has the “potential to engage students by seeing information in context and providing a platform through which they creatively explore content by designing and exploring scenarios through the lens of games” (p. 93).
The TPACK framework is useful in learning because it supports active and collaborative blended learning. Typically, most MR applications for primary students have embodied learning environments which provide few opportunities to collaborate with peers. In other words, they mostly include single user applications.
- i) How can primary students be better supported to work with their peers in an embodied environment?
- ii) How is it possible for primary students mix virtual/augmented realities? Is it essential to manipulate realities at a young age?
Klopfer, E., & Sheldon, J. (2010). Augmenting your own reality: Student authoring of science‐based augmented reality games. New directions for youth development, 2010(128), 85-94.
Lindgren, R., & Johnson-Glenberg, M. (2013). Emboldened by embodiment: Six precepts for research on embodied learning and mixed reality. Educational Researcher, 42(8), 445-452
Winn, W. (2003). Learning in artificial environments: Embodiment, embeddedness, and dynamic adaptation. Technology, Instruction, Cognition and Learning, 1(1), 87-114.