Movement Matters edited by Sheila L. Macrine and Jennifer M.B. Fugate (on sale April 19, 2022 from the MIT Press) examines why today's complex problems demand a radically new way of thinking—one in which art, technology, and science converge.
The book considers the educational implications of an embodied account of cognition, describing the latest research applications from neuroscience, psychology, and cognitive science and demonstrating their relevance for teaching and learning pedagogy. Contributors—including Dor Abrahamson, Martha W. Alibali, Petra A. Arndt, Lisa Aziz-Zadeh, Jo Boaler, and many others—cover a range of content areas, explaining how the principles of embodied cognition can be applied in classroom settings.
“How intimate are the links between mind, body, and movement? In this important and groundbreaking volume, research on the embodied mind suggests exciting new perspectives on teaching and learning,” writes Andy Clark, a Professor of Cognitive Philosophy at the University of Sussex and the author of Being There and Surfing Uncertainty. “Essential reading for all those interested in evidence-led approaches to education.”
Embodied cognition represents a radical shift in conceptualizing cognitive processes, in which cognition develops through mind-body environmental interaction. If this supposition is correct, then the conventional style of instruction—in which students sit at desks, passively receiving information—needs rethinking.
After a discussion of the philosophical and theoretical underpinnings of embodied cognition, contributors describe its applications in language, including the areas of handwriting, vocabulary, language development, and reading comprehension; STEM areas, emphasizing finger counting and the importance of hand and body gestures in understanding physical forces; and digital learning technologies, including games and augmented reality. Finally, they explore embodied learning in the social-emotional realm, including how emotional granularity, empathy, and mindfulness benefit classroom learning.
Macrine, a professor at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, alongside Fugate, an associate professor at Kansas City University, introduced a new model, translational learning sciences research, for interpreting and disseminating the latest empirical findings in the burgeoning field of embodied cognition. The book provides an up-to-date, inclusive, and essential resource for those involved in educational planning, design, and pedagogical approaches.
“Whatever the fate of embodied cognition—whether it ends up the ‘true’ theory of cognition—there is no doubting that it has inspired new and promising educational strategies that have already proven superior to the ‘learning by recipe’ route that seems a natural complement to the computational picture of cognition,” write Macrine and Fugate.
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About the editors
Sheila L. Macrine is Professor in the Department of STEM Education and Teacher Development at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
Jennifer M. B. Fugate is Associate Professor in the Department of Health Service Psychology at Kansas City University.
Learn more about the book at the MIT Press website: https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/movement-matters