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🎃 Oh my gourd, we’ve got new research!

This week’s article discusses reflective writing in workplace learning assessments. We will answer the question:

  • Can Sitting Postures Influence the Creative Mind?
If you're standing up, sit down. If you're sitting down, get up, sit down again.

Also, details on a learning science funding opportunity!

Criss-cross, AppleSauce 🧘🏾‍♀️

When discussing which factors impact our thinking and learning, we’ve often touched on instructional design practices. What about other factors? Back in LSW Issue #87, we talked about temperature (head over to see if hot or cold is better!). This issue, we’ll be covering a topic a little “closer to home,” - body posture. In a recent article, researchers evaluated whether body posture impacts creative thinking (Michinov & Michinov, 2022).

In this study, 90 individuals were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: contractive posture or expansive posture. The postures were manipulated through creating different workspaces, so that participants were not explicitly aware of their “posture condition.” For instance, in the contractive condition, participants were in a smaller workspace, meaning they did not need to reach far for their materials. In the expansive condition, it was a larger workspace and required participants to reach, leading to expansive postures (Michinov & Michinov, 2022).

In the workspaces, participants were given 15 minutes to create an original drawing “based on eight abstract geometric shapes, different from that produced by other people by including the shapes in their creation, modifying them and drawing other items with colored paints if necessary” (Michinov & Michinov, 2022). To that end, participants had glue, scissors, a brush, the shapes to cut, different colored paints, and a plate for mixing.

Ultimately, the results showed that a contractive posture had a positive impact on creative performance, as opposed to an expansive posture!

Key takeaway: The results have implications for tasks that require creativity! When completing a creative task, it may be best to take on a contractive, rather than expansive, posture. When placing people in spaces to complete creative tasks, designing those spaces to promote contractive postures may be best.

Read More ($): Michinov, N., & Michinov, E. (2022). Can Sitting Postures Influence the Creative Mind? Positive Effect of Contractive Posture on Convergent-Integrative Thinking. Creativity Research Journal.

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Opportunity Alert: BCSER Program 💰

Thank you to our reader Lizzie for providing details on this cool funding opportunity!

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced a special funding opportunity within their Building Capacity in STEM Education Research (BCSER) program.

Proposals should center on K-12 education, and projects with a focus on mathematics and emerging technologies. Researchers from minority-serving and two-year institutions are encouraged to apply.

Deadline for submission is February 24, 2023.

Learn More

Pets of Learning Science Weekly

This week’s pup comes from Kait S. in Atlanta. She says “Sadie is a one and a half year old cavapoo that’s spunky, sweet and very sassy! She loves hanging with her paw-rents, checking out the other doggos at Fetch Park and cuddling with her peeps!"

Wondering why we’re including animal photos in a learning science newsletter? It may seem weird, we admit. But we’re banking on the baby schema effect and the “power of Kawaii.” So, send us your cute pet pics -- you’re helping us all learn better!

The LSW Crew

_Learning Science Weekly is written and edited through collaboration with the Intellum content and learning science teams._

Have something to share? Want to see something in next week's issue? Send your suggestions to editor@learningscienceweekly.com