1. Embodied Learning
Michael Rivera
EDAC 634
Ball State University

2. What is Embodied Learning?
 According to Learning in Adulthood: A
Comprehensive Guide, embodied learning is:
 “… learning in an experience as it occurs, rather
than from reflection on the experience after it
occurs”.
 Which means…
 Embodied learning is using your body to learn.
Everything from physically performing as task to a
gut reaction to an event is embodied learning.

3. Embodied Learning through
Cheerleading
 I am a Ball State University Cheerleader and I
wanted to investigate Embodied Learning through
my own experiences with Cheerleading
 I did not start cheering until the age of 20, and had
no experience with the physical skills required by
the sport
 Cheerleading requires many muscles in order to
execute the different stunts, pyramids, and basket
tosses
 You have to learn all of the skills during the
experience, which makes Cheerleading a great
candidate to research Embodied Learning.

4. Findings from the Literature
Review
 There is a link between
science and Embodied
Learning:
 There are mirror neurons
that help apply yourself to
an activity
 Being able to see
someone perform a
cheerleading stunt can
help your brain put you
into that stunt
 Physical performing a task
can enhance learning:
 While mirror neurons help
you apply yourself to a
cheer stunt, actually being
able to perform that stunt
will have optimal results
 Provide time for bonding to
enhance embodied learning:
 In a sport like cheerleading,
team bonding is crucial to
form trust and relationships
in order to perform stunts

5. Findings from Program
Investigations
Self-Awareness
 Provide trainings to help
teach cheerleaders what to
put on social media
 Cheerleaders represent
schools, Universities, and
various gyms and need to
keep a sense of
professionalism
 The public will start to
especially recognize
collegiate cheerleaders
outside of athletic events
Lead Cheers/Crowd
Involvement
 Cheerleaders need to learn
motions for cheers on top of
the different stunts required
for the sport
 Each motion has a specific
arm placement and needs
to be executed correctly
 Cheerleaders also need to
learn how to interact with
the crowd to hype up the
crowd

6. Findings from Program
Investigations
Stunts, pyramids, and
basket tosses
Weightlifting
 You need to teach the
basics!
 Conditioning is key to
cheerleading
 Mastering the basic skills will
help you learn more
advanced stunting skills.
 Men and women need to
be in shape in order to
advance with skills
 The basics will also help
teach pyramids and how to
properly throw basket tosses
 Having a regular work out
schedule will help keep the
cheerleaders in shape

7. Application – Stunting
 The main part of my
program focused on
stunting. You need to learn
the basic skill which is a toss
to hands in order to
advance to harder stunts
 Partner stunting (one male
and one female) is my area
of expertise and is what I
used to develop my stunting
progression

8. Application- Stunting
After a toss to hands
comes an extension
The next stunt in the
progression is a liberty

9. Application – Stunting
 The next step in the stunting
progression is a cupie. Both
of the female’s feet are in
one hand of the male
 After this skill is masters, you
can start working on toss
extensions, toss liberties, and
toss cupies

10. Application - Stunting
 The last progression in
partner stunting are the
most advanced stunts.
These can include rewinds,
full up stuns, and hand in
hands
 A rewind is shown in the
video to the right
 All of the stunts build off of
each other. You need to
master the basic skill in order
to execute a hard skill like in
the video

11. Application – Pyramids
 My program has one class
devoted to pyramids. The
class can be split up into skill
level
 Simple pyramids that can
be taught are 2-21 pyramids
and A-Frame pyramids
 The A-Frame pyramid is
shown to the right

12. Application - Pyramids
 More advanced pyramids
can be taught once the
simple pyramids are
mastered.
 The pyramid in the video
requires all people involved
to be focused, and ready to
execute their job in the stunt
in order for it to be
performed properly

13. Application – Basket Tosses
 There is a class offered on
how to properly throw a
basket toss.
 The class will teach the
women being thrown how
to execute the skill needed
for the basket toss
 The class will teach the
bases throwing the basket
how finish their toss so that
the flyer can get optimal
height

14. Application - Motions
 My program contains a
class on how to execute
motions for
cheers, dances, and
spiriting
 The class will also cover how
to use signs in get the crowd
involved in an athletic
event

15. Evaluations
 The first evaluator is an
instructor at Ball State
University
 From her comments I would
like:
 Shorten my introduction
 Eliminate the repetition
between the introduction
and rationale
 Break the different
training components into
paragraphs

16. Evaluations
 Janette Stanley was the
second evaluator for my
program. She is a preschool
teacher and a former
cheerleader
 From her evaluation I would
change:
 Repetition throughout the
syllabus
 How to change my
courses for the size of the
group in the course

17. Implications
 I believe my study can show how embodied learning in
adulthood can be utilized
 I had to learn the basic skills my first year cheering, and I am just
now able to perform advanced stunts
 Once I learned how to perform a toss to hands, I was able to
build up to an extension. Once I figured out how to smoothly
build an extension over my head, I was able to try a liberty
 All of the skills build off of each other and when they are
executed correctly, the easier stunting will become
 Cheerleading is a great sport to examine embodied learning
because you need to use your body and all of your muscles to
learn the skills needed for the sport

18. References
 Merriam, S. B., Caffarella, R. S., & Baumgartner, L.
M. (2007). Embodied, Spiritual, and
Narrative Learning. Learning in Adulthood:
A comprehensive Guide (Third ed.,pp.
189-190). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.