Watching videos of a drawing hand improves students' understanding of the normal probability distribution.

ABSTRACT: Understanding normal probability distributions is a crucial objective in mathematics and statistics education. Drawing upon cognitive psychology research, this study explores the use of drawings and visualizations as effective scaffolds to enhance students' comprehension. Although much research has documented the helpfulness of drawing as a research tool to reveal students' knowledge states, its direct utility in advancing higher-order cognitive processes remains understudied. In Study 1, qualitative methods were utilized to identify common misunderstandings among students regarding canonical depictions of the normal probability distribution. Building on these insights, Study 2 experimentally compared three instructional videos (static slides, dynamic drawing, and dynamic drawings done by

SUBMITTER: Zhang IY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11779760 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature