KEYNOTE – Physical Learning: Moving Beyond Dual-Coding Theory

Audio and visual representations have been the predominant means of education. The availability of cheaply produced material in print, from words on paper to representations on computers and smartphones, has enabled text to become the primary medium for teaching, learning and assessment. That has been extended by easy-to-produce-and-share videos that have made lectures a reality for local and distance learners. This idea of audio and visual learning has been so entrenched in our education systems, that audio-visual learning theories such as Paivio’s Dual-coding theory (DCT) have formed the basis for many current practices in education.

With the advent of new physical-based interaction technologies such as Augmented and Virtual Reality (A/VR), educators trained in traditional DCT-based approaches may find it hard to use such technologies effectively. A comprehensive theory of learning based on physical interactions is needed to enable educators to better take advantage of physical-based interaction technologies in learning facilitation design. I will outline the recent efforts in Embodied Cognition. Then, I will outline my past and present efforts in contributing from an interaction design perspective, and set a vision for the future.