Tapestry Pedagogy Workshop

Importance of Developing Spatial Skills for Success in CS

Laura Reasoner Jones

Tapestry Pedagogy Workshop

Well-developed spatial skills lead to success in• Engineering and Technology• Computer Science • Chemistry• Computer-Aided Design• Mathematics• Geospatial technologies• Neurosurgery• And much more

Because they represent and manipulate information in problem-solving.

Tapestry Pedagogy Workshop

Gender Differences in Spatial Skills

~100 years of research finds significant gender differences favoring males in 3-D spatial skills• Differences are particularly robust in mental rotation

and spatial perception (Linn and Peterson, 1985)

• Experiences as youth seem to explain some of the differences (Baenninger and Newcombe, 1995, Voyer, Nolan, and Voyer, 2000, and Terlecki and Newcombe, 2005)

• Training seem to improve female performance to some degree (Baartmans and Sorby, 1996)

Tapestry Pedagogy Workshop

Components of Spatial Thinking

• Mental Rotation—rotate two and three-dimensional figures

• Spatial Perception—determine relationships with respect to the orientation of her/his body

• Spatial Visualization—multi-step manipulations of objects and parts both individually and holistically(AWE)

Tapestry Pedagogy Workshop

How can you improve measurable spatial skills?Teach students to:

• Analyze the components of the task• Rotate the item into congruence• Compare objects• Respond

Tapestry Pedagogy Workshop

Important Experiences for the Development of Spatial Skills

Play with construction toys/LegosShop, drafting, and mechanics classes3-D computer gamesCertain sports Mathematics skillsSketchingRepeated practice with general spatial skills

Tapestry Pedagogy Workshop

Importance for Computer Science

Spatial ability allows you to:• Navigate in virtual space• Develop mental models and maps • Move between files and functions more easily• Navigate through text/code more easily• Figure out where to go next

• 3-D Printing…….

Tapestry Pedagogy Workshop

How can you improve functional spatial skills?

• Practice• Experience• Build confidence

Tapestry Pedagogy Workshop

Tests for Spatial Abilities:• Mental Cutting Test

Tapestry Pedagogy Workshop

• Mental Rotation Test (Vandenberg and Kuse, 1978)

Tapestry Pedagogy Workshop

Purdue Spatial Visualization Test: Rotations

Tapestry Pedagogy Workshop

Project Talent Study (APA, 2009)

Tapestry Pedagogy Workshop

What you can do

Make thinking visible—use the Think-Aloud techniqueTeach mental rotation, 2-D and 3-D drawing (Sorby)

Tapestry Pedagogy Workshop

Use E3 Materials (Everyday Examples in Engineering)

Sorby’s Engineering Graphics

Tapestry Pedagogy Workshop

Make 2D to 3D and 3D to 2D a part of the classroom life

• Logic groups• Modeling as part of the programming

process

Tapestry Pedagogy Workshop

Promote and use free CAD software• Encourage exploration• Allow experimentation & failure

http://www.sketchup.com/learn/videos?playlist=58 https://tinkercad.com/video

Tapestry Pedagogy Workshop

Contact information:Laura Reasoner Joneslrjones806@gmail.com