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Constructing causal mechanistic explanations of observable phenomena is a key science practice that is often challenging for students as most mechanisms involve interactions of unobservable entities and activities. In this study, we examined how gesturing with a computer simulation that depicts the molecular mechanism of thermal conduction supported middle‐school students in constructing causal mechanistic explanations. We designed a gesture‐augmented computer simulation in which students were cued to use hand gestures to control the simulation. These cued gestures represent core causal interactions of conduction and they prompt students to physically engage with the simulation in conceptually meaningful ways. In this study, we examined how 21 students used the simulation and explained thermal conduction in a semi‐structured interview, followed by a mixed‐methods analysis. Quantitative analysis shows that students moved toward articulating the canonical causal mechanistic explanation of thermal conduction using the simulation. Three representative cases were identified to explore how students' explanations were facilitated by cued gestures. The analysis shows two main ways the cued gestures supported all students in the study: (a) by helping them attribute causal agency to molecules rather than an entity called Heat, and (b) by reifying the core mechanism of molecular collisions in conduction. Furthermore, the case studies show how each student's unique ways of sensemaking impacted their gesture use. Implications for instruction with gestures and design of augmented environments are discussed.

Research from brain science and the learning sciences support the notion that human cognition is grounded in our sensorimotor engagement with the physical world and that processes of learning can be shaped by our movements and actions. Increasing recognition that effective educational interventions can be seeded with embodied actions is paralleled by recent and rapid advances in sensing and motion capture technologies. These advances allow for a new wave of cyberlearning environments that permit learners to use their bodies to create and manipulate digital representations of core ideas in a variety of learning domains. Drawing on the research literature on embodied cognition and design principles for creating effective embodied educational simulations, we present the design of a cyberlearning platform called ELASTIC³S. We describe the design rationale and preliminary data from a small empirical study of the ELASTIC³S platform that address the potential for enhancing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning and engagement through embodied interaction.

Constructing explanatory models, in which students learn to visualize the mechanisms of unobservable entities (e.g., molecules) to explain the working of observable phenomena (e.g., air pressure), is a key practice of science. Yet, students struggle to develop and utilize such models to articulate causal‐mechanistic explanations. In this paper, we argue that representational gesturing with the hands (i.e., gesturing that models semantic content) can support the development of explanatory models. Through case studies examining middle school students gesturing during sensemaking, we show that representational gestures can support students in at least four ways: (a) they make underlying mechanisms visible, (b) they facilitate translation of a spatial model to a verbal explanation, (c) they enable model articulation while relying less on scientific terminology, and (d) they present opportunities for students to embody causal agents. In these ways, representational gesturing can be considered an epistemic tool supporting students during sensemaking and communication. We argue that instruction should attend to students’ gestures and, as appropriate, encourage students to gesture as a means of aiding the construction and articulation of causal‐mechanistic explanations. While our study explores one form of embodied representation, we encourage the field to explore embodied expressions as epistemic tools for learning.