Students Learn Better When The Numbers Don't Talk And Dance

Most teachers believe that students learn better when abstract concepts are taught using concrete materials or examples -- but a new study suggests they may be wrong.
Researchers found that when college students were taught an artificial form of mathematics and physics, they learned it better when it was presented using simple, abstract symbols – such as plain stars and raindrops -- rather than more visually engaging and concrete 3-D objects that moved dynamically on a computer screen.