A Well Grounded Education

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 of learning that is grounded in perception and interaction, yet also supports transportable 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 non-symbolic, perceptual grouping factors. We interpret both results as showing that cognition that seems 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. A Well Grounded Education 3 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 neuro-evolutionary progress is that our techniques for teaching mathematics and science are not keeping up with the pace of science (Bialek & 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 important 1 that it behooves cognitive scientists to apply their state-of-the-science techniques and results to informing the discourse on educational reform. Cognitive scientists are in a uniquely qualified position to provide expert suggestions on knowledge representation, learning, problem solving, and symbolic reasoning. These topics are core to understanding how people utilize mathematical and scientific principles. We also believe that the recent developments in embodied and grounded cognition have direct relevance to mathematics and science education, offering a promising new perspective …