Unraveling temporally entangled multimodal interactions: investigating verbal and nonverbal contributions to collaborative construction of embodied math knowledge

Abstract In various technology-enhanced learning (TEL) environments, knowledge co-creation progresses through multimodal interactions that integrate verbal and nonverbal modalities, such as speech and gestures. This study investigated two distinct analytical approaches for analyzing multimodal inter...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Hanall Sung, Mitchell J. Nathan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SpringerOpen 2025-02-01
Series:International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-025-00504-6
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850197933015695360
author Hanall Sung
Mitchell J. Nathan
author_facet Hanall Sung
Mitchell J. Nathan
author_sort Hanall Sung
collection DOAJ
description Abstract In various technology-enhanced learning (TEL) environments, knowledge co-creation progresses through multimodal interactions that integrate verbal and nonverbal modalities, such as speech and gestures. This study investigated two distinct analytical approaches for analyzing multimodal interactions—triangulating and interleaving—by applying them to collaborative learning processes during an online embodied mathematics intervention. The findings demonstrate that the interleaving approach captures the temporal dynamics and nuanced interplay between multimodal events, providing deeper insights into how shared meaning-making evolves over time. In contrast, the triangulating approach effectively identifies cumulative interaction patterns but does not account for their temporal structure. Specifically, the interleaving approach, employing epistemic network analysis, revealed statistically significant differences in discourse patterns between learners with larger and smaller variances in upper body movements during the co-design activity. These findings underscore the complementary value of the interleaving approach in analyzing multimodal interactions and offer practical implications for advancing understanding of collaborative learning processes in TEL environments.
format Article
id doaj-art-e770a2f114f9413ba7c5bdeb1cec133f
institution OA Journals
issn 2365-9440
language English
publishDate 2025-02-01
publisher SpringerOpen
record_format Article
series International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education
spelling doaj-art-e770a2f114f9413ba7c5bdeb1cec133f2025-08-20T02:12:59ZengSpringerOpenInternational Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education2365-94402025-02-0122112810.1186/s41239-025-00504-6Unraveling temporally entangled multimodal interactions: investigating verbal and nonverbal contributions to collaborative construction of embodied math knowledgeHanall Sung0Mitchell J. Nathan1Department of Theory & Practice in Teacher Education, University of TennesseeDepartment of Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin-MadisonAbstract In various technology-enhanced learning (TEL) environments, knowledge co-creation progresses through multimodal interactions that integrate verbal and nonverbal modalities, such as speech and gestures. This study investigated two distinct analytical approaches for analyzing multimodal interactions—triangulating and interleaving—by applying them to collaborative learning processes during an online embodied mathematics intervention. The findings demonstrate that the interleaving approach captures the temporal dynamics and nuanced interplay between multimodal events, providing deeper insights into how shared meaning-making evolves over time. In contrast, the triangulating approach effectively identifies cumulative interaction patterns but does not account for their temporal structure. Specifically, the interleaving approach, employing epistemic network analysis, revealed statistically significant differences in discourse patterns between learners with larger and smaller variances in upper body movements during the co-design activity. These findings underscore the complementary value of the interleaving approach in analyzing multimodal interactions and offer practical implications for advancing understanding of collaborative learning processes in TEL environments.https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-025-00504-6Multimodal learning analyticsTemporalLearning processBody movementGestureMotion sensing
spellingShingle Hanall Sung
Mitchell J. Nathan
Unraveling temporally entangled multimodal interactions: investigating verbal and nonverbal contributions to collaborative construction of embodied math knowledge
International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education
Multimodal learning analytics
Temporal
Learning process
Body movement
Gesture
Motion sensing
title Unraveling temporally entangled multimodal interactions: investigating verbal and nonverbal contributions to collaborative construction of embodied math knowledge
title_full Unraveling temporally entangled multimodal interactions: investigating verbal and nonverbal contributions to collaborative construction of embodied math knowledge
title_fullStr Unraveling temporally entangled multimodal interactions: investigating verbal and nonverbal contributions to collaborative construction of embodied math knowledge
title_full_unstemmed Unraveling temporally entangled multimodal interactions: investigating verbal and nonverbal contributions to collaborative construction of embodied math knowledge
title_short Unraveling temporally entangled multimodal interactions: investigating verbal and nonverbal contributions to collaborative construction of embodied math knowledge
title_sort unraveling temporally entangled multimodal interactions investigating verbal and nonverbal contributions to collaborative construction of embodied math knowledge
topic Multimodal learning analytics
Temporal
Learning process
Body movement
Gesture
Motion sensing
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-025-00504-6
work_keys_str_mv AT hanallsung unravelingtemporallyentangledmultimodalinteractionsinvestigatingverbalandnonverbalcontributionstocollaborativeconstructionofembodiedmathknowledge
AT mitchelljnathan unravelingtemporallyentangledmultimodalinteractionsinvestigatingverbalandnonverbalcontributionstocollaborativeconstructionofembodiedmathknowledge