Critical Analysis Essay
In the article Gesture and its role in classroom communication: an issue for the personalized learning agenda, Wall (2006) argues that even though there has been much research regarding interpersonal communication in the classroom, it has primarily focused on verbal interactions between students and teachers. He contends that further research is needed in the area of nonverbal communication, specifically the use of gestures. For true personalized learning to be effective, the teacher must be able to assess whether or not each individual student understands the material before moving to other topics, the student must be able to understand what is being taught, and the teacher must be able to interpret the student’s classroom behavior. Wall believes that the use of gestures play a crucial role in these three areas. In this essay, I will explore how gestures in the classroom can enhance learning, and how they were applied in my own experience as a technical trainer.
The importance of gauging a student’s understanding seems obvious, considering that most lessons are based upon knowledge gained through prior instruction. If a student has not mastered the prerequisite knowledge, it is unlikely that a teacher will be able to effectively transfer new knowledge. This is supported by Johnson’s (2007) observation that “the ones that I found to be good teachers seemed to know how I was feeling and took the lesson in the direction that I needed to go” (p.60). The teacher’s challenge then becomes how to effectively gauge the student’s understanding. This interaction can occur in several ways.
Verbal cues no doubt play an important role in the communication between student and teacher. According ...