Work in Progress:  Spatial Visualization Assessment and Training in the Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois

Brian S. Woodard; Tiffany Wenting Li; Ziang Xiao; Molly H Goldstein; Michael L. Philpott

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Conference: 2021 Illinois-Indiana Regional Conference
Location: Virtual
Publication Date: April 16, 2021
Start Date: April 16, 2021
End Date: April 17, 2021
Conference Session: Classroom Methodologies
Tagged Topics: Diversity and Classroom methodologies
Page Count: 12
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--38284
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/38284
Download Count: 819

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Paper Authors

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Brian S. Woodard University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign

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Dr. Woodard received his Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2011. His Aerospace research interests currently focus on the effects of icing on the aerodynamics of swept-wing aircraft. In engineering education, he is interested in project-based learning and spatial visualization. He teaches courses at the University of Illinois where he serves as the Director of Undergraduate Programs for the Department of Aerospace Engineering.

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Tiffany Wenting Li

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Tiffany Li is a Ph.D. student in computer science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her research interest lies in human-computer interaction and educational technology.

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Ziang Xiao University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign

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Ziang Xiao is a Phd student from the computer science department at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His primary research interest is in human-computer interaction.

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Molly H Goldstein University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign orcid.org/0000-0002-2382-4745

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Molly H. Goldstein is an engineering design educator and researcher at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She previously worked as an environmental engineer specializing in air quality influencing her focus in engineering design with environmental concerns. Her research interests include how students approach decision making in an engineering design context. She obtained her BS in General Engineering (Systems & Design) and MS in Systems and Entrepreneurial Engineering from the University of Illinois and PhD in Engineering Education from Purdue University.

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Michael L. Philpott University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign

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Abstract

Decades of research has consistently shown that spatial skills are one of the strongest predictors of future success in STEM coursework and STEM careers independent of math and verbal ability. Additionally, visuospatial skills, especially mental rotation skills, of female students are well documented to lag behind those of their male counterparts. Fortunately, research also shows that visuospatial skills are malleable, and individuals may need different methods to practice and improve their skills. For example, in a series of studies, Sorby showed that gender differences in STEM education could be reduced by enhancing visuospatial skills through computerized training that involves different forms of practice in solving visuospatial problems. Our team at the University of Illinois has developed an online training platform, consisting of sketching exercises and multiple-choice questions, to enhance visualization skills. This training platform was applied to students in a first-year elective course. Sixty students completed the course in the fall 2020 semester. The primary elements of the course included virtual synchronous class exercises, writing reflections related to visualization skills, and the training platform. Students representing eleven engineering majors registered for the class. These students were guided to the course based on the results from the Purdue Spatial Visualization Test: Visualization of Rotations (PSVT:R) which is a standard instrument for measuring spatial visualization ability. An electronic version of this assessment was recommended to all students entering the College of Engineering in the fall of 2020. Approximately, 1250 students completed the assessment. Students who scored below a specified threshold were recommended to enroll in the training course. The goal of the class is to improve students’ visualization skills making them more likely to be successful in STEM majors. At this stage in the work, we have two preliminary data sets to analyze. We have the results from the students who enrolled in the training course. In addition to their performance on the initial assessment and their class activities, they also completed the same PSVT:R assessment at the end of the class. Preliminary analysis of the data indicates a class average improvement of 23% on the assessment. Additional demographic data for those students requires further consideration. Gender, college major, and other factors can be investigated with respect to their impact on visualization skill improvement. The other data set is the assessment results from the PSVT:R given to the large number of students entering the College of Engineering. The average score on the assessment is 22 out of 30 which is consistent with historical data from engineering students using this test of mental rotations. The team looks forward to completing a further analysis of that data set and comparing to historical data. Many demographic factors can be considered with the large number of freshman students who completed the assessment. This paper is proposed as a “Work in Progress” due to the early nature of the project. With only one year of substantial data collected, all results might be considered preliminary until additional data are collected and analyzed.

Citation
Format

Woodard, B. S., & Li, T. W., & Xiao, Z., & Goldstein, M. H., & Philpott, M. L. (2021, April), Work in Progress: Spatial Visualization Assessment and Training in the Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Paper presented at 2021 Illinois-Indiana Regional Conference, Virtual. 10.18260/1-2--38284

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Decades of research has consistently shown that spatial skills are one of the strongest predictors of future success in STEM coursework and STEM careers independent of math and verbal ability.  Additionally, visuospatial skills, especially mental rotation skills, of female students are well documented to lag behind those of their male counterparts.  Fortunately, research also shows that visuospatial skills are malleable, and individuals may need different methods to practice and improve their skills.  For example, in a series of studies, Sorby showed that gender differences in STEM education could be reduced by enhancing visuospatial skills through computerized training that involves different forms of practice in solving visuospatial problems.  Our team at the University of Illinois has developed an online training platform, consisting of sketching exercises and multiple-choice questions, to enhance visualization skills.  This training platform was applied to students in a first-year elective course.  Sixty students completed the course in the fall 2020 semester.  The primary elements of the course included virtual synchronous class exercises, writing reflections related to visualization skills, and the training platform.  Students representing eleven engineering majors registered for the class.  These students were guided to the course based on the results from the Purdue Spatial Visualization Test:  Visualization of Rotations (PSVT:R) which is a standard instrument for measuring spatial visualization ability.  An electronic version of this assessment was recommended to all students entering the College of Engineering in the fall of 2020.  Approximately, 1250 students completed the assessment.  Students who scored below a specified threshold were recommended to enroll in the training course.  The goal of the class is to improve students’ visualization skills making them more likely to be successful in STEM majors.
At this stage in the work, we have two preliminary data sets to analyze.  We have the results from the students who enrolled in the training course.  In addition to their performance on the initial assessment and their class activities, they also completed the same PSVT:R assessment at the end of the class.  Preliminary analysis of the data indicates a class average improvement of 23% on the assessment.  Additional demographic data for those students requires further consideration.  Gender, college major, and other factors can be investigated with respect to their impact on visualization skill improvement.
The other data set is the assessment results from the PSVT:R given to the large number of students entering the College of Engineering.  The average score on the assessment is 22 out of 30 which is consistent with historical data from engineering students using this test of mental rotations.  The team looks forward to completing a further analysis of that data set and comparing to historical data.  Many demographic factors can be considered with the large number of freshman students who completed the assessment.
This paper is proposed as a “Work in Progress” due to the early nature of the project.  With only one year of substantial data collected, all results might be considered preliminary until additional data are collected and analyzed.
AU  - Brian S. Woodard
AU  - Tiffany Wenting Li
AU  - Ziang Xiao
AU  - Molly H Goldstein
AU  - Michael L. Philpott
CY  - Virtual
DA  - 2021/04/16
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Work in Progress:  Spatial Visualization Assessment and Training in the Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/38284
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--38284
ER  -