The role of embodiment in situated learning

Abstract

The concept of activity is central to situated learning theories, but activity has largely been considered an exclusively sociocultural process in which the body only plays a minor role. In embodied cognition research, on the other hand, there is an increasing awareness that mind and body are inextricably intertwined and cannot be viewed in isolation. Findings in the field of cognitive neuroscience provide additional evidence that cognition is tightly linked to perception and action. This paper aims to shed a light on the role of the body insituated learning activity by integrating the different perspectives of situated learning and embodied cognition research. The paper suggests that, like individual human conceptualization and thought, situated learning is in fact deeply rooted in bodily activity. In social interactions the body provides individuals with a similar perspective on the world, it functions as a means of signalling to others what cannot (yet) be expressed verbally, and it serves as a resonance mechanism in the understanding of others.