Have you ever noticed HOW children move when interacting with exhibits and wondered what this means for learning?

Move2Learn is an international collaboration of science communicators and learning science researchers who are exploring the role of movement and gesture in young children learning about science. The project draws upon an emerging research area of Embodied Cognition which claims that the way we think and learn is inseparably linked to our sensory and action experiences in the world.

After a brief introduction to key concepts and our research questions, you will test out the observation tool we have developed to analyse how users interact and learn.

We will share our own experiences of the highs and lows of pushing the boundary between science communication and academic research as we discuss:

- the science centre as a complex environment to conduct research

- the skills needed to engage young children AND conduct rigorous research

- the challenges of collaboration between researchers and science centre practitioners

- how explainers and parents could use movement to enhance the exhibit experience for young children

- what we should include in an ‘embodied learning toolkit’ for explainers and exhibit designers.

You will never look at exhibit interactions the same way again!