Abstract
This chapter outlines an approach to classroom teaching that makes use of physical movement alongside more traditional lecturing methods when delivering lessons on abstract theoretical material. It develops the notion of embodied learning as a ‘physical metaphor’, outlining some examples of this practice that we have used in our recent work with a class of first year undergraduates. We argue that conceptualising students as embodied subjects, whose capacity to learn extends through and beyond their physical selves, educators are able to enhance classroom delivery by diversifying teaching activities and creating opportunities for enjoyable and memorable learning experiences. We advocate the reflexive, contextually sensitive and level-appropriate use of this method, arguing that despite some limitations it can animate students’ understanding of academic ideas in uniquely personalised ways.
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Notes
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Post-92 institutions are those granted the ability to award university degrees after 1992, many of which previously existed as technical colleges beforehand. Although there are certainly exceptions, they are generally ranked lower on most national league tables than comparable, older institutions; they typically offer courses that are vocational in nature; and they generally tend to place more importance on income generated through teaching than research.
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The literature on ‘adapted physical activity’, again derived from the physical education field, is worth consulting here. See for instance Sherrill (2004).
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Channon, A., Matthews, C.R., Khomutova, A. (2018). Moving Lessons: Teaching Sociology Through Embodied Learning in the HE Classroom. In: Matthews, C., Edgington, U., Channon, A. (eds) Teaching with Sociological Imagination in Higher and Further Education. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6725-9_9
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