Improving Learning by Putting Math in Motion
3In most elementary school classrooms, there is a time for play and a time for learning. But research by Ivon Arroyo, associate professor of social science and policy studies and learning sciences and technologies at Worcester Polytechnic institute (WPI), shows that games can be a powerful tool for enhancing learning in mathematics. In her research, Arroyo, a computer scientist whose work embraces cognitive and educational psychology, has demonstrated that embodied games, which require students to move and gesture as they solve puzzles or tackle team-based math puzzles, can help students absorb and retain concepts better than more traditional classroom lessons. Engaging the muscles and the senses adds a new dimension to learning, she has found.