The reviewed tracing studies consistently confirm learning benefits of tracing across retention, comprehension, and transfer measures, though cognitive-load hypotheses were not confirmed in all studies¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · causal r? · q2
Currency · newest study 2023 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? The authors' review concludes that studies with paper-based and digital material and participants of different age groups consistently confirm tracing benefits across performance measures including retention, comprehension, and transfer problem solving. → Babette Park · Andreas Korbach · Paul Ginns · Roland Brünken 2023 q2 i? The review reports that hypotheses concerning cognitive load have not been confirmed in all studies, though lower intrinsic and extraneous load ratings were found in several recent experiments. → Babette Park · Andreas Korbach · Paul Ginns · Roland Brünken 2023 (2)

Evidence¶

Babette Park · Andreas Korbach · Paul Ginns · Roland Brünken 2023¶

Babette Park · Andreas Korbach · Paul Ginns · Roland Brünken. (2023). How Learners Use Their Hands for Learning: an Eye-Tracking Study. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-023-09833-2

q2 · i? · causal · r?

Narrative review synthesis by the authors, attributing benefits to studies such as Macken and Ginns (2014), Hu et al. (2015), Agostinho et al. (2015), Tang et al. (2019), and Wang et al. (2022); the review's own assertion, not a pooled estimate.

"this review of studies including paper-based and digital material (iPad and touchscreens) and participants of different age groups (children, adults) consistently confirms the benefits of tracing across a range of performance measures, including retention, comprehension, and transfer problem solving"

Babette Park · Andreas Korbach · Paul Ginns · Roland Brünken 2023 (2)¶

Babette Park · Andreas Korbach · Paul Ginns · Roland Brünken. (2023). How Learners Use Their Hands for Learning: an Eye-Tracking Study. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-023-09833-2

q2 · i? · causal · r?

The review reports mixed cognitive-load findings: "hypotheses concerning cognitive load have not been confirmed in all studies", while noting recent experiments (Ginns & King, 2021; Tang et al., 2019; Wang et al., 2022) confirmed lower extraneous load and tracing-with-imagination studies lower intrinsic load.

"However, hypotheses concerning cognitive load have not been confirmed in all studies"

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• In a three-group eye-tracking experiment, the pointing group significantly outperformed both the tracing group and the no-touch group on comprehension performance — related
• Combining tracing with imagining (tracing with closed eyes) reduced problem-solving times compared to no tracing and imagining in worked-example mathematics learning — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• The segmenting, cognitive-load, and learning-time effects are confirmed for system-paced segmentation — related
• Segmenting Improves Multimedia Learning — related
• Pointing and tracing gestures improved retention and comprehension over no gesturing (review attributes this to Macken & Ginns, 2014) — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Tracing and pointing during a paper-based multimedia lesson improves comprehension test performance in Chinese-speaking adults — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Tracing and pointing lowers extraneous cognitive load under a floor-effect-adjusted test, but not in the unadjusted comparison — related
• Gesturing during learning improves retention and reduces cognitive load — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Pointing during multimedia learning leads to superior comprehension and increased attentional focus compared with tracing or no hand movements — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Mimicking tracing and pointing gestures on a touchscreen during timed multimedia worked examples hindered adolescent learners' geometry learning — reports the opposite