Xu, Z., Antonenko, P., Dawson, K., Koh, D.H., Wusylko, C. (2023). Exploring How Touch Gesture Interactions Support Visuospatial Cognition in a Cryptology and Cybersecurity Curriculum. [Poster presentation]. American Educational Research Association.
Although many studies have explored the efficacy of touch-screen devices in supporting student learning, we have very limited understanding regarding the specific mechanisms by which the touch-screen devices may facilitate attention, cognition, and other learning processes. This study explores the impact of embodiment affordance of touch-screen devices on student learning in a visuospatially rich cryptology and cybersecurity curriculum. Results indicates when students perform an easy learning task, using touch gesture interaction leads to lower accuracy, longer time on task, but higher interaction efficiency. In addition, path analyses suggest that the benefit of touch gesture interaction on learning of the curriculum is mediated by improved interaction efficiency. Implications in designing learning technologies to support STEM learning are also provided.