European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI)

Abstract

Abstract. This study investigates whether observing hand actions in dynamic and static visualizations is helpful for learning hand-manipulative tasks in terms of knot tying. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to address whether dynamic visualizations or/and observing hands in the visualizations activate the human mirror-neuron-system and whether its activation mediates the facilitation of learning. During learning to tie two knots (Trucker’s Hitch and Bowline) participants viewed either dynamic or static visualizations with or without hands (2x2-between-subjects-design). Moreover, learners’ spatial ability was measured as a potential moderator during learning with different types of visualizations. Participants performed a motor skills task (knot tying performance) and a cognitive task (reasoning about the knot tying process). Results differed in dependence of the task, the to-be-tied knot, and learners’ spatial ability. Higher-spatial-ability learners showed better motor skill performance from viewing dynamic visualizations (Bowline knot) and visualizations with hands (Trucker’s Hitch knot). Lower-spatial-ability learners showed lower cognitive task performance from viewing the dynamic visualizations (Bowline knot) and visualizations with hands (Trucker’s Hitch and Bowline knot). The fNIRS data are currently analyzed. In sum, the effectiveness of different types of visualizations in terms of their dynamism (dynamic or static) and hand visibility (with or without) depends on the to-be-tied knot, the to-be-accomplished task (motor skills performance vs. cognitive reasoning) as well as spatial ability. Whereas higher-spatial-ability learners acquire better motor skills from learning with dynamic visualizations and observing hands in visualizations, lower-spatial-ability learners suffer from the same instructional formats on cognitive reasoning tasks