• Brain-shaped word cloud of research interests

    OVERVIEW

    Our research examines the cognitive and neurobiological mechanisms that allow human language to support learning, focusing in particular on the relationship between gesture and speech. The goal of our research is to understand how the gesture-speech relationship changes between childhood and adulthood, how it enhances learning in diverse populations, and how it is abnormal in neurodevelopmental disorders such as ASD. To achieve this goal, we use behavioral (video recording, eyetracking) and neuroscientific (EEG, MEG, fNIRS) techniques to study how the gesture-speech relationship contributes to learning in both children and adults. We are recruiting Ph.D. students for 2024-2025. If you are interested in joining the Neuroscience of Education Research on Development Lab, please get in touch and come be a NERD!

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    NERD Lab, Fall 2023.

    NERD Lab, Spring 2024.

  • RESEARCH

    The central hypothesis of our research is that gesture related to speech facilitates learning,

    whereas gesture unrelated to speech hinders learning.

    Girl with EGI EEG net on head

    HOW DOES GESTURE SUPPORT LEARNING?

    When speech fails to convey information clearly, gesture provides an alternative channel through which information can be conveyed. How do teachers use gesture to convey information, and how do learners integrate it with speech to understand this information? Our research shows that different types of gestures convey different information, and that gesture comprehension and production are closely related in learning.

    Woman in front of desk-mounted eyetracker

    WHY IS GESTURE MORE EFFECTIVE FOR SOME LEARNERS THAN OTHERS?

    Although many learners integrate speech and gesture effortlessly, people with disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have difficulty using gesture to facilitate learning. How does the function and structure of the brain differ in ASD, and why do these neurodevelopmental differences result in impairments in gesture-speech integration and learning? Our research shows that brain regions responsible for coordinating the timing and meaning of gesture and speech play a key role in these deficiencies.

    People using speech and gesture to converse

    HOW DOES GESTURE'S INFLUENCE CHANGE WITH DEVELOPMENT?

    Like all other aspects of language, gesture develops significantly between childhood and adulthood. How does this development affect children's ability to use gesture to learn concepts effectively? Our research shows that children can interpret some types of gesture (iconic and deictic) effectively, but that they have difficulty interpreting other types of gesture (beat), affecting the efficacy of their learning.

  • CONTACT

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