The incorporation of engaging and meaningful learning experiences is essential for the enhancement of critical thinking and the development of scientific literacy. The study engaged several groups of students in activities designed to elicit their understanding of a graphical representation of motion, and to determine the kinesthetic effect of using a computer-interfaced motion detector in two isomorphic tasks. (I) A forensic context provided an abstracted determination of their ability to describe the motion of an intruder from the data collected by a sensor, and displayed as a graph; (II) An analysis of the motion of two pendulums, a real and a virtual one (as a simulation). An investigation of students' analysis of graphical representations of motion also emphasized the transferability of similar concepts from hypothetical/virtual scenarios to an experimental task to determine the impact of kinesthesia on performance. The results indicate that the features associated with subjects' own movements, and those of other real objects are statistically and cognitively significant in their improvements on the analysis of graphical representations of motion. The findings have broad implications for the use of inquiry-based and technology-rich contexts in the teaching of science.