Learning by Mirroring Movements: A Cognitive Load Perspective

Cognitive load theory suggests that gestures have considerable effects on information processing within a limited working memory capacity. The present series of experiments examined whether instructions for students to mirror a teacher’s gestures during lessons based on ‘number line’ and ‘order of operations’ worked examples could enhance learning by decreasing intrinsic and extraneous cognitive load, and by raising motivation. In Experiment One, 113 Year 2 students either mirrored or observed the teacher’s actions with the index finger on diagrammatical elements of ‘number line’ worked examples. The mirroring group reported lower intrinsic load, lower extraneous load, higher motivation, and solved more test questions correctly, than the non-mirroring group. In Experiment Two, 50 Year 6 students either mirrored or observed the teacher’s gestures while explaining elements of ‘order of operation’ worked examples. The mirroring group did not report lower cognitive load, higher motivation, or better transfer test knowledge, than those in the non-mirroring group, which may have been due to mean scores on the pre-test favouring the mirroring group. Similar materials and instructions on ‘order of operations’ used in Experiment 2 were used in Experiment 3, and the experiment was conducted with groups (93 Year 5 and 6 students), instead of individually. Hypotheses were not supported; students in the mirroring group did not report lower cognitive load, higher motivation, or outperform the non-mirroring group at post-test. Taken together, the results of the three experiments indicate a potential boundary condition for the effectiveness of mirroring, with clearest results established in one-on-one instructional settings; in contrast, mirroring in group settings may generate extraneous cognitive load interfering with learning. Implications for theory, research and practice are discussed