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Session 1438

The Addition of Coordinate Axes to the Purdue Spatial Visualization Test- Visualization of Rotations: A Study at Two Universities

Theodore J. Branoff, Patrick E. Connolly North Carolina State University/Purdue University

Abstract During the 1998 fall semester, a study was conducted at North Carolina State University and Purdue University to determine the effectiveness of adding coordinate axes to a mental rotations task. This study was a follow-up to a study conducted in the 1997 fall semester at North Carolina State University (Branoff, 1998). Undergraduate students enrolled in introductory graphic communications and technical graphics courses completed a computer version of the Purdue Spatial Visualization Test - Visualization of Rotations (PSVT). The instrument was used to record student responses and response times as well as information on gender, current major, number of previous graphics courses completed, and method used to solve the test items. Coordinate axes were added to portions of the PSVT for three of the four treatment groups to determine if the axes provided contextual cues necessary to improve scores and response times. The researchers hypothesized that coordinate axes would provide verbal cues that could be coded along with nonverbal information to improve mental rotation efficiency. A Solomon Four Group Design was used to assess the effect of the coordinate axes, determine the effect of pretest sensitization, and assess interaction between the pretest and posttest conditions.

I. Introduction

The study described in this paper is a follow-up on a study conducted during the 1997 fall semester at North Carolina State University (Branoff, 1998). The sample from the initial study included 81 students enrolled in introductory graphic communications courses. The intent of the study was to examine the effects of coordinate axes on a mental rotations task. Coordinate axes were added to items on the Purdue Spatial Visualization Test – Visualization of Rotations (Guay, 1980) for the experimental group to examine how the axes influenced scores and response times. A pretest-posttest, control group design was used in the first study where both the control and experimental groups completed the 30 items on the PSVT. After a short break period, both groups completed an equivalent form of the PSVT with coordinate axes added to the 30 items for the experimental group. The following conclusions were drawn from the initial study:

1. When examining differences between the experimental and control groups, the coordinate axes had only a small influence on scores. The mean score for the experimental group was greater than the mean score for the control group, but the difference was not significant. 2. The coordinate axes had a significant affect on response times. Analyses of response times indicated that more time was required to process the additional information present with the coordinate axes. 3. The addition of the axes eliminated gender differences on the PSVT.

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Connolly, P. E., & Branoff, T. (1999, June), The Addition Of Coordinate Axes To The Purdue Spatial Visualization Test Visualization Of Rotations: A Study At Two Universities Paper presented at 1999 Annual Conference, Charlotte, North Carolina. 10.18260/1-2--7541