SL- CN: The role of gesture in mathematics learning: from research to practice

学习科学协作网络将芝加哥大学和东北伊利诺伊大学的研究人员和实践者聚集在一起，调查非语言线索对数学学习的影响，并根据这一研究证据开发适合不同学习者的在线数学课程。在线教育有望成为一种“公平杠杆”，让所有儿童，包括低收入和弱势儿童都能接受教育。但目前尚不清楚在线教学是否与面对面教学一样有效，部分原因是它消除了许多非语言暗示，包括手势，而这些非语言暗示已被发现可以促进学习。该网络将开展基础研究，探索非语言线索对聋哑和听力健全儿童数学学习的影响，然后利用这项研究开发在线教学，有效地利用非语言线索为不同的学习者提供帮助。聋人科学家在科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）领域的代表性不足，这表明聋人学生存在管道问题，并强调需要改善这些学生的数学教学。这些研究还将考虑学生来自家庭的社会经济水平，因此不仅与来自特权背景的学习者有关，而且与获得较少资源的学习者有关。这个学习科学协作网络由来自心理学、语言学、计算机科学和神经科学的十所大学的合作者组成，他们有三种专业知识：研究手势及其在数学和科学学习中的作用的科学家；从语言学角度研究语言发展的科学家；从事基础研究和应用研究的交叉点，参与教育实践或政策和技术开发的科学家。网络的目的有三个方面：(1)促进对非语言线索对数学教学影响的认识。(2)探讨非语言线索对不同学习者的影响是否不同，特别是来自低经济社会地位家庭的听力学习者和聋人学习者。(3)通过开发一种面向不同背景的学习者的在线教学工具，将研究成果转化为实践。建议的研究包括在不同的输入媒介中向不同的学习者群体展示数学等价和分数大小的课程。这些研究包括行为和神经学学习结果的定量测量。研究结果将用于在线数学课程的开发，以适应不同类型学习者的需求。该奖项来自学习-协作网络科学（SL-CN）计划，由SBE行为和认知科学部（BCS）、SBE多学科活动办公室（SMA）、EHR核心研究（ECR）计划和CISE计算机和网络系统部（CNS）资助。

This Science of Learning Collaborative Network brings together researchers and practitioners at the University of Chicago and Northeastern Illinois University to investigate the impact of nonverbal cues on math learning, and to develop online math lessons accessible to diverse learners based on this research-based evidence. Online education offers the promise that it can serve as an "equity lever" by making education accessible to all children, including low-income and disadvantaged children. But it is not clear that online teaching is as effective as face-to-face teaching, in part because it eliminates many of the nonverbal cues, including gesture, that have been found to promote learning. This network will conduct basic research exploring the impact that nonverbal cues have on math learning in both deaf and hearing children, and then use this research to develop online instruction that makes effective use of nonverbal cues for diverse learners. Deaf scientists are underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields, suggesting a pipeline problem for deaf students and highlighting a need to improve math teaching for these students. The studies will also consider the socioeconomic levels of the homes from which the students come, and thus have relevance not only to learners who come to school from privileged backgrounds, but also to learners who have access to fewer resources. This Science of Learning Collaborative Network consists of collaborators representing ten universities from psychology, linguistics, computer science, and neuroscience with three types of expertise: scientists who study gesture and its role in learning math and science; scientists who study language development from a linguistic perspective; and scientists who are at the intersection of basic and applied research, and are involved in educational practice or policy and technology development. The purpose of the network is three-fold: (1) To advance knowledge of the impact that nonverbal cues have on mathematics instruction. (2) To explore whether nonverbal cues have different effects on different learners, in particular hearing vs. deaf learners from low vs. high SES homes. (3) To translate research into practice by developing an online teaching tool that is accessible to learners with diverse backgrounds. The proposed studies involve presenting lessons on mathematical equivalence and fraction magnitudes in different input mediums to different groups of learners. The studies include quantitative measures of behavioral and neurological learning outcomes. The research findings will be used to inform the development of online math lessons that can be adapted to the needs of different types of learners. The award is from the Science of Learning-Collaborative Networks (SL-CN) Program, with funding from the SBE Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences (BCS), the SBE Office of Multidisciplinary Activities (SMA), the EHR Core Research (ECR) Program, and the CISE Division of Computer and Network Systems (CNS).