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

这个学习科学合作网络将芝加哥大学和伊利诺伊东北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，并根据这一基于研究的证据，开发可供不同学习者使用的在线数学课程。在线教育承诺，它可以通过让所有儿童，包括低收入和处境不利的儿童，都能获得教育，从而发挥“公平杠杆”的作用。但目前还不清楚在线教学是否和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，这些已经被发现有助于学习。该网络将进行基础研究，探索非语言线索对聋哑儿童和听力正常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，面向不同的学习者。聋人科学家在科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)领域的代表性不足，这表明聋人学生面临着管道问题，并突显了改善这些学生数学教学的必要性。这些研究还将考虑学生所在家庭的社会经济水平，因此不仅与来自特权背景的学生相关，也与获得较少资源的学生相关。这个学习科学合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，他们拥有三种专业知识：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；以及处于基础研究和应用研究的交叉点，并参与教育实践或政策和技术开发的科学家。这个网络的目的有三个：(1)提高人们对非语言线索对数学教学的影响的认识。(2)探讨非语言线索对不同学习者的影响是否存在差异，尤其是听力障碍者和聋哑者。(3)开发一种可供不同背景的学习者使用的在线教学工具，将研究转化为实践。建议的研究包括向不同的学习者群体介绍不同输入媒介中的数学等价性和分数大小的课程。这些研究包括对行为和神经学习结果的量化测量。研究结果将被用来为在线数学课程的开发提供信息，这些课程可以适应不同类型学习者的需求。该奖项来自学习科学-协作网络(SL-CN)计划，资金来自SBE行为和认知科学部门(BCS)、SBE多学科活动办公室(SMA)、EHR核心研究(ECR)计划和CEISE计算机和网络系统部门(CNS)。

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).