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While the use of experiments is important for developing students' scientific knowledge and skills, challenges may arise when teachers and students are conducting experiments in class, such as non‐reusable experimental resources, safety issues and difficulties simulating some specific effects. Augmented reality (AR) technology affords an alternative approach to conducting experiments by bringing students a virtual–real mixed learning environment. In this study, taking junior high school physics knowledge on the magnetic field as an example, we designed and developed an AR‐based mobile simulated experiment tool. This study investigates the effect of the AR‐based experiment on students' knowledge improvement and cognitive load compared with 3D and traditional experiments. A sample of 122 ninth‐grade students was randomly chosen and assigned to three groups (AR, 3D and Traditional). The results demonstrate that students in the AR group performed better than those in the 3D and Traditional groups in terms of their knowledge improvement. The AR group students also experienced the lowest cognitive load among the three groups. Moreover, students had positive perceptions about AR and 3D tools. The implications of this study are discussed. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Experiment is an important method for students' magnetic field learning.Traditional magnetic experiment consists of various procedures that may cause some inconvenience during learning.Augmented reality (AR) provides a virtual–real fusion environment to assist teaching and learning.While some studies indicate positive impact of AR on learner's cognitive load, some do not. What this paper adds: An AR‐based mobile simulated experiment tool was proposed based on the junior high school physics knowledge, the magnetic field.A Comparison was made among AR, 3D and traditional experiment for magnetic field learning.Higher knowledge improvement and lower cognitive load were observed in the AR group.3D and Traditional groups showed similar knowledge improvement and cognitive load. Implications for practice and/or policy: The AR design with hand‐held devices has unlimited scalability of educational applications.Serving the real object as marker and using the professional algorithm to simulate some specific phenomenon were recommended in future AR studies.The findings indicated that AR experimental tool had a statistically significant effect on students' knowledge improvement and cognitive load.The similar result between 3D and Traditional groups implies that not everything virtualized is good; we must consider the actual teaching and learning situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An instructor's gestures have an effect not only on students' learning but also on teaching itself. In two experiments, this study tested whether instructors' use of gestures while recording video lectures affected their teaching performance, stress, and cognitive load. In Experiment 1, participants recorded video lectures with gestures or without gestures. As hypothesized, t tests showed that participants in the gestures condition had better teaching performance and lower cognitive load than participants in the no‐gestures condition, whereas there was no effect on stress level. In Experiment 2, participants recorded video lectures with either pointing gestures or representational gestures. The t tests indicated that participants in the pointing gestures condition showed better teaching performance and experienced lower stress than those in the representational gestures condition, but there was no difference in cognitive load. Overall, our findings suggest that in the new educational environment of video lectures, instructors should consider using gestures, especially pointing gestures, to improve their teaching and their experience of teaching. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic Instructors' gestures have benefits on learners' learning.Different types of gestures have different effect.Gestures can affect speaker's cognition. What this paper adds This study explored the effect of whether instructors' gestures and different types of gestures (pointing gestures and representational gestures) during recording instructional videos on their teaching.Instructors' gestures improved their teaching performance, induced cognitive load, and enhanced teaching efficacy.Instructors' pointing gestures were outperformed than representational gestures in teaching performance and stress level. Implications for practice and/or policy Instructors should consider using gestures when recording instructional videos, especially pointing gestures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]