The findings were striking: When instructors used more expressive behaviors, participants not only felt more engaged and motivated but also focused more intently on the instructor, even though the interaction was entirely virtual. Traditional cognitive approaches to instructional design often advocate for minimizing cues that do not directly convey information, such as smiling combined with gesturing, on the grounds that they might distract learners from the learning material. However, this perspective overlooks the social aspects of learning. This study demonstrates that the integration of these nonverbal behaviors, far from being a distraction, actually enhances motivation and enjoyment without compromising cognitive learning outcomes. For instance, when instructors smiled and gestured naturally while explaining complex mathematical concepts in the videos, participants remained more attentive throughout the lecture.
