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Abstract: In science education, gestures have emerged as a valuable tool for both students to represent their reasoning and educators to assess learners’ developing knowledge. One reason is that gestures afford representing dynamic causal reasoning, a fundamental aspect of understanding various natural phenomena. However, gestures inherently lack feedback mechanisms and are possibly epiphenomenal to learning. We address these limitations by pairing haptic physical models with a computational NetLogo simulation designed to support students in comprehending dynamic interactions within complex systems. In this study, we investigated the impact of haptic learning experiences and computational environments on student-generated gestures. Our findings revealed that haptic learning experiences augment the computational environments by providing students with sensory feedback. This, in turn, leads to a shift in students' gestures, as they transition from representing aggregate patterns, such as quantity and motion, to individual interactions between physical entities and forces. 

ABSTRACT Significant research has been conducted on how students’ gestures aid in learning scientific concepts, yet there remains a gap in understanding the impact of gesture-based interactions between students and simulations on their interpretation of visualized scientific phenomena. Addressing this, our paper presents a usability test conducted on a dynamic equilibrium visualization simulation developed for introductory college courses. Through a user study involving 40 participants, we conducted a qualitative evaluation to determine how students interpret gesture-controlled simulations. The findings confirm that students generally interpret visualized scientific concepts effectively and that interacting through gestures enhances their interpretation of the simulations. Additionally, this paper discusses the limitations of the current study and suggests directions for future research.