TY - GEN
T1 - Evaluation of change in approach to problem solving through developing spatial thinking
AU - Duffy, G.
AU - Sorby, S. A.
AU - Bowe, B.
AU - Nozaki, S.
N1 - Funding Information:
It is unusual to see spatial skills development formally included in the STEM curriculum. Compare this with mathematical skills which are formally developed throughout the STEM curriculum and often further enhanced by math learning support centres. There are exceptions to this rule, an example being a group of US engineering schools who recently added spatial skills development to the curriculum through their participation in ENGAGE Engineering, a National Science Foundation funded project that began in 2009 (“ENGAGE Engineering,” n.d.). Their motivation was to improve retention rates of low spatial ability students based on findings from Michigan Technological University (MTU) [1]. Over a period of several years, students with initially weak spatial skills at MTU who participated in an intervention course consistently earned higher grades and graduated at higher rates than students similar in spatial ability who did not participate in the intervention course [2].
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - In this study, we examine the transfer of spatial skills training to the ability to solve word problems in mathematics. A sample of freshman engineering students was recruited from an engineering school in the US consisting of 53 participants, 28 female and 25 male, categorized as 'weak visualizers' based on a spatial ability test. Of these, 30 (18 female, 12 male) enrolled in a spatial skills training course delivered during the autumn semester and the remaining 23 participants (10 female, 13 male) did not take this course. All participants were administered a spatial skills test and a measure of math problem solving ability at the beginning and end of the semester. Both those enrolled and not enrolled on the course made significant gains on the spatial ability measure but the gain was significantly higher for those enrolled on the course. No significant differences in the math pre and post-test scores were found for either group. Transfer of improvements in spatial ability to math problem solving ability were not manifest in this case.
AB - In this study, we examine the transfer of spatial skills training to the ability to solve word problems in mathematics. A sample of freshman engineering students was recruited from an engineering school in the US consisting of 53 participants, 28 female and 25 male, categorized as 'weak visualizers' based on a spatial ability test. Of these, 30 (18 female, 12 male) enrolled in a spatial skills training course delivered during the autumn semester and the remaining 23 participants (10 female, 13 male) did not take this course. All participants were administered a spatial skills test and a measure of math problem solving ability at the beginning and end of the semester. Both those enrolled and not enrolled on the course made significant gains on the spatial ability measure but the gain was significantly higher for those enrolled on the course. No significant differences in the math pre and post-test scores were found for either group. Transfer of improvements in spatial ability to math problem solving ability were not manifest in this case.
KW - Cognitive development
KW - Problem solving
KW - Spatial ability
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85034765437
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:85034765437
T3 - Proceedings of the 45th SEFI Annual Conference 2017 - Education Excellence for Sustainability, SEFI 2017
SP - 1541
EP - 1548
BT - Proceedings of the 45th SEFI Annual Conference 2017 - Education Excellence for Sustainability, SEFI 2017
A2 - Bernardino, Jorge
A2 - Rocha, Joao
A2 - Quadrado, Jose Carlos
PB - European Society for Engineering Education (SEFI)
T2 - 45th Annual Conference of the European Society for Engineering Education, SEFI 2017
Y2 - 18 September 2017 through 21 September 2017
ER -