Merzdorf, H., & Jaison, D., & Weaver, M., & Douglas, K., & Linsey, J., & Hammond, T. (2022, August), Assessing Engineering Sketching Skills on Object Assembly Tasks  Paper presented at 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN. 10.18260/1-2--40791

\bibitem{asee_peer_40791}
  Merzdorf, H., \& Jaison, D., \& Weaver, M., \& Douglas, K., \& Linsey, J., \& Hammond, T. (2022, August), \emph{Assessing Engineering Sketching Skills on Object Assembly Tasks}
  Paper presented at 2022 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition, Minneapolis, MN.
  10.18260/1-2--40791

Hillary Merzdorf, Donna Jaison, Morgan Weaver, Kerrie Douglas, Julie Linsey, and Tracy Hammond.  "Assessing Engineering Sketching Skills on Object Assembly Tasks".  2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN, 2022, August.  ASEE Conferences, 2022.  https://peer.asee.org/40791 Internet.  15 Dec, 2024

\bibitem{asee_peer_40791}
  Hillary Merzdorf, Donna Jaison, Morgan Weaver, Kerrie Douglas, Julie Linsey, and Tracy Hammond.
  "Assessing Engineering Sketching Skills on Object Assembly Tasks".
  \emph{2022 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition, Minneapolis, MN, 2022, August}.
  ASEE Conferences, 2022.
  https://peer.asee.org/40791 Internet.  15 Dec, 2024

@INPROCEEDINGS{asee_peer_40791
author = "Hillary Merzdorf, Donna Jaison, Morgan Weaver, Kerrie Douglas, Julie Linsey, and Tracy Hammond"
title = "Assessing Engineering Sketching Skills on Object Assembly Tasks"
booktitle = "2022 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition"
year = "2022"
month = "August"
address = "Minneapolis, MN"
publisher = "ASEE Conferences"
note = {https://peer.asee.org/40791}
number = {10.18260/1-2--40791}
}

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Sketching is a valuable skill in engineering for representing information, developing design ideas, and communicating technical and abstract information. As a precursor to computer-based visualization skills, sketching is an important means of developing spatial abilities which are predictive of success in STEM fields. Mental imagery broadly describes the ability to internally conceptualize and crystallize an image. In particular, mental rotation is key in engineering graphics for visualizing objects from multiple perspectives, as in orthographic projection. The Revised Purdue Spatial Visualization Test: Rotations shows symmetrical and asymmetrical objects from multiple isometric perspectives, and students select the consistent view. The Mental Rotation Test rotates irregular shapes on an axis, and students select the correct rotation. While both tests are highly predictive of engineering visualization skills, spatial ability research and its link to engineering drawing often uses them as intervention outcome measures, without directly assessing sketching ability. Our new test examines sketching skills with object assembly tasks using mental imagery and mental rotation. The study was guided by the following research questions: What are engineering students’ sketching skills as assessed by our instrument?, What is the factor structure of the engineering sketching skills assessment?, and What is the inter-rater reliability for grading sketches?



This study focuses on the development and pilot testing of a new sketching skills test using object assembly exercises. By sketching responses to spatial visualization exercises requiring mental imagery and mental rotation, students demonstrate sketching skill in the constructed images they draw. Exercises require students to visualize what they will draw, perform the mental operations on the depicted shapes necessary to correctly represent their mental image, and draw their results. A corresponding rubric scores sketches on accuracy, line straightness, precision, line weight, scale, consistency, symmetry, converging lines, and proportion at three skill levels. We received feedback from five student and professor engineering experts on test and rubric clarity and alignment. After making suggested edits, we will pilot the sketching skills test in two undergraduate sections of a mechanical engineering graphics and design course with 45 students per section, and in a graduate mechanical engineering design course with 40 students. We calculate inter-rater reliability between two raters scoring students sketches with the developed rubric.



Preliminary results show that experts recommended quantifying some skills, such as converging lines, to consistently grade sketches. Experts recommended removing symmetry and line weight for little correlation to the current tasks, and adding a category for cylinders to improve alignment. Pilot study results will report sketching skills in mechanical engineering undergraduate and graduate students at emerging, developing, and proficient ability levels. We report inter-rater reliability in applying the rubric for all categories. We compare undergraduate and graduate student scores and discuss differences between sections. Further changes to rubric categories with low reliability will be made to better represent engineering drawing skills. Drawing tasks will be modified to clearly map onto spatial ability. The paper will discuss implications for engineering educators. Our results will inform future dissemination of this instrument to engineering and design classrooms.
AU  - Hillary Merzdorf
AU  - Donna Jaison
AU  - Morgan Weaver
AU  - Kerrie Douglas
AU  - Julie Linsey
AU  - Tracy Hammond
CY  - Minneapolis, MN
DA  - 2022/08/23
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Assessing Engineering Sketching Skills on Object Assembly Tasks
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/40791
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--40791
ER  -