16-de Vega-Chap16

One of the most important applications of grounded cognition theories is to science and mathematics education, where the primary goal is to foster knowledge and skills that are widely transportable to new situations. This presents a challenge to those grounded cognition theories that tightly tie knowledge to the specifics of a single situation. In this chapter, we develop a theory learning that is grounded in perception and interaction, yet also supports transferable knowledge. A first series of studies explores the transfer of complex systems principles across two superficially dissimilar scenarios. The results indicate that students most effectively show transfer by applying previously learned perceptual and interpretational processes to new situations. A second series shows that even when students are solving formal algebra problems, they are greatly influenced by nonsymbolic, perceptual grouping factors. We interpret both results as showing that high-level cognition that might seem to involve purely symbolic reasoning is actually driven by perceptual processes. The educational implication is that instruction in science and mathematics should involve not only teaching abstract rules and equations but also training students to perceive and interact with their world. Scientific progress has been progressing at a dizzying pace. In contrast, natural human biology changes rather sluggishly and we are using the essentially the same kinds of brains to understand advanced modern science that have been used for millennia. Further exacerbating this tension between the different rates of scientific and neuroevolutionary progress is that our techniques for teaching mathematics and science are not keeping up with the pace of science (Bialek and Botstein 2004). Politicians, media, and pundits have all expressed frustration with the poor state of mathematics and science education in the United States and worldwide. There will not be any easy or singular solution to the problem of how to improve mathematics and science education. However, we believe that the consequences of improved science and mathematics education are sufficiently important1 that it behooves