FROM TO HAND TO MOUTH TO MIND: TRACING THE CO-OCCURRENCE OF GESTURE AND SPEECH TO CONCEPTUAL UNDESTANDING

Geologists often use gestures when describing geologic processes and features both in the classroom and in the field. These gestures may be used to communicate concrete and abstract ideas, as well as spatial information. In students, these gestures may be used to either bolster verbal communication, or to bridge gaps in communication when vocabulary is underdeveloped. We have developed a new classification scheme that categorizes gestures into 5 “types” (the shape the hand makes) and 11 “functions” (the purpose of the gesture). The gesture functions can be subdivided into lower-order functions, which are simple and of a singular nature, and higher-order functions which are more complex. When we compare gestures used in the field to gestures used in non-field settings, we see that lower-order functions are used more frequently in the field as students utilize their surroundings, whereas students in non-field settings use higher-order functions more frequently as they must construct their ideas “from scratch”.

In order to define the gesture functions, we relied on two contexts: primarily the co-occurrence of speech but also the geologic context. When comparing gestures to speech we begin to see patterns in scientific reasoning such as observation, which is manifested in lower-order functions, followed by interpretation, which is manifested in higher-order functions. We also see instances where gestures are used to bridge gaps in communication when they are struggling to articulate a concept. This may serve as clue for instructors that the student has deficiencies in their conceptual understanding. In addition, we see instances where gestures are used to reinforce verbal communication when the student has a full and accurate understanding of a concept. This may help instructors to gage when a student is proficient in their understanding.