Proceedings of the Fourth Annual Teachers College Educational ...

Applying Physics to the Real World: Using Embodiment and LEGO
Mindstorms in Physics Learning for Children
Carol M. Lu, Seokmin Kang, Sorachai Kornkasem, Laura M. Lu,
Teachers College, Columbia University, 525 W. 120 th St., New York, NY 10027
Email: cml2133@columbia.edu, sk2587@tc.columbia.edu, sk451@columbia.edu,
lml2152@columbia.edu
Abstract: This study examined elementary students’ ability to apply physics concepts in
real world situations through the use of embodiment and LEGO Mindstroms. Participants
in this study included fifth graders from an inner-city public elementary school where they
were randomly assigned to either LEGO robotics instruction with embodiment or LEGO
robotics instruction without embodiment. Both groups were asked to complete a set of
prescribed tasks pertaining to physical science. In addition, students in the embodiment
group were asked to act like robots and moved their own bodies based on the
instructions given for the tasks. Students in both groups were asked to take a pretest
and then a posttest and short interview to assess the learning outcomes at the end of our
study. The results revealed that students with embodied experiences were able to apply
physics concepts in other contexts better than those without embodiment.
Many cognitive scientists have developed an increased interest in exploring how mind and body
collaborate to develop better understanding through embodied cognition in different contexts and settings.
Recent literature suggests that we generate multimodal representations that are grounded on the physical
experiences we gain through different sensory modalities as well as emotional conditions when we
interact with the world (Barsalou, 2008). Meanwhile, robots provide “students opportunities to represent
their ideas in different ways and utilize 3D artifacts (robots) to contextualize their learning and help them
communicate their ideas and understandings (Church et al., 2010, p. 47). Papert (1980) claims that
learning with robotics transforms the way students learn. That is, robotics helps students associate the
knowledge they learn in their minds and the knowledge they build with their hands, using robots. This
knowledge children acquire is valuable, as they will be using and creating new meaning based on that
understanding.
This study examined elementary students’ ability to apply physics concepts in real world situations such
as sports through the use of embodiment and LEGO Mindstroms. We designed an after-school program
integrating embodied cognition with LEGO robotics to assess whether students’ ability to apply physics
concepts increase when they physically move their own bodies in activities related to science and sports.
Participants in this study included fifth graders from an inner-city public elementary school where they
were randomly assigned to either LEGO robotics instruction with embodiment or LEGO robotics
instruction without embodiment. Both groups were asked to complete a set of prescribed tasks pertaining
to physical science. In addition, students in the embodiment group were asked to act like robots and
moved their own bodies based on the instructions given for the tasks. Students in both groups were
asked to take a pretest and then a posttest and short interview to assess the learning outcomes at the
end of our study.
Although our curriculum had an overall effect on both control and experimental group in terms of science
application and understanding, the results of our study revealed that students with embodied experiences
were able to apply physics concepts in other contexts better than those without embodiment. Previous
studies have indicated that children typically find science concepts abstract and very hard to grasp
(Johnstone, 1991; Millar, 1991). The findings of our study suggest that integrating embodiment with
LEGO robotics can improve students’ ability to transfer their understanding of physics concepts in another
context. Additional research should be done to identify the generalizability of these findings to other
populations and learning content.
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