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From Conception to Fruition: Co-Designing a Digital Exhibit Incorporating Embodied Cognition to Encourage Young Children's Computational Thinking in a Science Discovery Centre

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Title: From Conception to Fruition: Co-Designing a Digital Exhibit Incorporating Embodied Cognition to Encourage Young Children's Computational Thinking in a Science Discovery Centre
Language: English
Authors: Karen Murcia (ORCID 0000-0002-1900-2781), Geoffrey Lowe (ORCID 0000-0001-9413-7080), Myrto Mavilidi (ORCID 0000-0003-2661-8709), Emma Cross (ORCID 0000-0002-0974-3287), Michelle De Kok (ORCID 0000-0001-6188-6632), William Peng
Source: Australian Educational Researcher. 2025 52(3):1751-1772.
Availability: Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link.springer.com/
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 22
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Descriptive
Descriptors: Young Children, Computation, Thinking Skills, Science Education, Science Teaching Centers, Learning Modalities, Kinesthetic Perception, Abstract Reasoning, Schemata (Cognition), Knowledge Representation
DOI: 10.1007/s13384-024-00785-2
ISSN: 0311-6999
2210-5328
Abstract: Theories linked to embodied cognition emphasise the importance of kinaesthetic learning in shaping higher-order cognitive processing. By spreading the cognitive load to other senses while still contributing to central schema, embodied learning can build long-term memory and engagement, especially in young children, leading to improved performance. This approach is particularly suited to computational thinking (CT) which is arguably the critical digital literacy skill of the twenty-first century. This article reports on the co-design of a digital exhibit in collaboration with a Science Discovery Centre (SDC) intended to encourage CT in young children, underpinned by an embodied cognition approach incorporating whole-body actions. Each stage of the exhibit co-design process was informed by research into embodied cognition as well as competencies associated with CT, namely deconstruction, pattern identification, abstraction, and algorithmic thinking, over a 12-month period from conception to fruition. The article describes how theories surrounding embodied cognition and CT were enacted in the realisation process. It concludes by considering the value of co-designing with industry partners such as the SDC, as well as the value of learning designs incorporating kinaesthetic learning especially in relation to abstract concepts such as CT, as embodied knowledge can lead to the construction of enriched mental representations whereby new information is not just seen and heard but is connected to information from the physical environment.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1488065
Database: ERIC
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Karen+Murcia%22">Karen Murcia</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1900-2781">0000-0002-1900-2781</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Geoffrey+Lowe%22">Geoffrey Lowe</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9413-7080">0000-0001-9413-7080</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Myrto+Mavilidi%22">Myrto Mavilidi</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2661-8709">0000-0003-2661-8709</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Emma+Cross%22">Emma Cross</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0974-3287">0000-0002-0974-3287</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Michelle+De+Kok%22">Michelle De Kok</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6188-6632">0000-0001-6188-6632</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22William+Peng%22">William Peng</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Australian+Educational+Researcher%22"><i>Australian Educational Researcher</i></searchLink>. 2025 52(3):1751-1772.
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  Data: Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link.springer.com/
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  Data: Theories linked to embodied cognition emphasise the importance of kinaesthetic learning in shaping higher-order cognitive processing. By spreading the cognitive load to other senses while still contributing to central schema, embodied learning can build long-term memory and engagement, especially in young children, leading to improved performance. This approach is particularly suited to computational thinking (CT) which is arguably the critical digital literacy skill of the twenty-first century. This article reports on the co-design of a digital exhibit in collaboration with a Science Discovery Centre (SDC) intended to encourage CT in young children, underpinned by an embodied cognition approach incorporating whole-body actions. Each stage of the exhibit co-design process was informed by research into embodied cognition as well as competencies associated with CT, namely deconstruction, pattern identification, abstraction, and algorithmic thinking, over a 12-month period from conception to fruition. The article describes how theories surrounding embodied cognition and CT were enacted in the realisation process. It concludes by considering the value of co-designing with industry partners such as the SDC, as well as the value of learning designs incorporating kinaesthetic learning especially in relation to abstract concepts such as CT, as embodied knowledge can lead to the construction of enriched mental representations whereby new information is not just seen and heard but is connected to information from the physical environment.
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