SPATIAL SKILLS TRAINING TO IMPROVE STUDENT SUCCESS IN ENGINEERING Sheryl A. Sorby Visiting Professor The Ohio State University Professor Emerita Michigan T echnological University
ENGINEERING IS ONE OF THE MOST SPATIALLY DEMANDING FIELDS Source: Johnson O ’ Connor Research Foundation
SPATIAL SKILLS AND ENGINEERING GRAPHICS A 1985 study at Michigan Tech determined that a student ’ s score on the PSVT:R was the most significant predictor of success of eleven variables tested in engineering graphics
EXAMPLE: EASE OF LEARNING CAD SOFTWARE Study conducted in Fall 2006 with first-year engineering students Students were pre-tested with a test designed to assess 3-D spatial skills Divided into three groups: High Visualizers, Average Visualizers, and Low Visualizers CAD software instruction module followed At end of instructional module, students were given a survey regarding their perceptions of learning the software
STUDY RESULTS (5-POINT SCALE — HIGHER NUMBERS=MORE DIFFICULTY) (N=329) Low Avg High Confidence in starting assignment 2.75 2.12 1.91 Ease in planning modeling approach 2.64 2.08 1.91 Time spent modeling part 2.29 1.81 1.84 Number of times starting over 2.04 1.69 1.65 Ease of working with software 3.02 2.64 2.73 Amount of Assistance required 2.33 2.17 1.77 Ease in learning compared to 2.87 2.49 2.35 teammates
BACKGROUND FACTORS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SPATIAL SKILLS FOR ENGINEERING STUDENTS Play with construction toys Shop, drafting, and mechanics classes 3-D computer games Certain sports Mathematics skills Sketching Most factors in developing skills have a certain degree of gender bias favoring males
GENDER DIFFERENCES ARE ROBUST AND CONSISTENT
RECENT DATA ANALYSIS BY RACE/ETHNICITY Male Female n Average n Average African 93 19.957 38 13.816 American p<0.0001 p<0.0001 American 63 22.619 18 20.222 Indian p<0.0002 NS Asian 66 23.530 30 19.333 American p=.05 NS Hispanic 97 24.227 20 18.700 NS NS Multiracial 88 24.239 27 20.481 NS NS White 7562 24.488 1441 20.712
RECENT DATA ANALYSIS BY COUNTRY OF ORIGIN n Average Standard Sig. of Deviation Differences Middle East 16 15.563 5.921 p<0.0001 Africa 28 16.714 5.199 p<0.0001 India 47 14.872 5.859 p<0.0001 China 82 22.268 4.456 p=0.0008 Far East Asia 27 23.630 5.534 NS South 16 22.438 4.273 NS America Canada 11 24.545 3.804 NS Other 15 22.133 5.167 NS
ENGINEERING DEMOGRAPHICS Engineering is one of the least diverse STEM fields ~ 18% women ~5% African American ~5% Hispanics The lack of diversity in engineering could be linked to poorly developed spatial skills for these students
SPATIAL SKILLS REMEDIATION A 1-credit course in developing spatial skills has been offered at Michigan T ech since 1993 Course has been adopted at several other engineering schools across the country in recent years Purdue Ohio State Virginia T ech UT Austin University of Illinois-Chicago Others Goal is to improve spatial skills so that students are more successful in engineering
SPATIAL SKILLS COURSE FORMAT One 1.5-hour lab session per week for one credit Short mini-lecture (~10-15 minutes) at beginning of session Students work through software module in teams of two Students complete workbook pages for remainder of time
COURSE MODULES Isometric Sketching Rotation of Objects about Two or more Axes Orthographic Projection Object Reflection and with Normal Surfaces Symmetry Orthographic Projection Cross-Sections with Inclined and Curved Surfaces Surfaces and Solids of Flat Pattern Developments Revolution Rotation of Objects about a Combining Objects Single Axis
MULTIMEDIA SOFTWARE AND WORKBOOK Each software module has a background section and an exercise section Exercises are primarily matching or fill in the blank Workbook modules include background information as well as multiple exercises Additional Sketching exercises available in the workbook
MULTIMEDIA SOFTWARE
MODULE 1: ISOMETRIC SKETCHING
IMAGINE A DIAGONAL FOR THE CUBE…
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 3-D VIEW AND ISOMETRIC VIEW
PSVT:R TEST RESULTS Pre-Test Post-Test 100 80 60 40 20 0 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 Gains statistically significant
ASSESSMENT OF GAINS ON SPATIAL SKILLS TEST-PSVT:R n Pre- Post- Gain Significance of Test Test Gain Original 186 50.5 76.9 26.4 p<0.0001 Course Modified 157 48.3 73.7 25.4 p<0.0001 Course
LOGISTIC REGRESSION RESULTS FROM RESEARCH WITH NON-ENGINEERING MAJORS Both groups that used the workbook were significantly better than the CG Software only group was not better than CG
FOR EXAMPLE: AVERAGE GPAS IN COURSES 1996-98 AND 2000-02 Course Failed Passed Failed PSVT:R, PSVT:R with PSVT:R, did enrolled score 60-70% not enroll Pre-Calculus 2.74 2.41 2.19 p=0.002 p<0.0001 Calculus I 2.59 2.48 2.25 N.S. p=0.004 Chemistry I 2.64 2.47 2.31 p=0.02 p=0.004 Computer Science 3.16 2.88 2.53 I p=0.02 p<0.0001 Overall 3.01 2.84 2.63 p=0.0005 p<0.0001
FALL 2009 DATA — NO SELF SELECTION Course Passed PSVT:R score Failed PSVT:R and Significance of of 60-70% took spatial skills Difference course Pre-Calculus 2.06 2.23 NS (s=1.093, n=62) (s=1.61, n=61) Calculus I 2.27 2.63 p=0.024 (s=1.384, n=120) (s=1.323, n=106) Chemistry I 2.35 2.51 p=0.096 (s=1.061, n=149) (s=0.946, n=129) Computer 2.25 2.63 NS Science I (s=1.356, n=20) (s=1.008, n=16) Overall GPA 2.64 2.83 p=0.012 (s=0.907, n=199) (s=0.726, n=187)
GRADUATION RATES (STUDENTS MATRICULATING 1996-1998) 90� 80� 70� 60� Passed� PSVT:R� 70%� or� higher� 50� Failed-Took� course� 40� Passed� PSVT:R� 60-70%� Failed-Did� not� take� course� 30� 20� 10� 0� At� University� Within� Engineering�
RETENTION RATES AT UNIVERSITY BY GENDER Women Men Failed Failed Passed Failed Failed Passed PSVT:R- PSVT:R- PSVT:R PSVT:R- PSVT:R- PSVT:R Took Did not score of Took Did not score of course take 60% or course take 60% or course higher course higher Retention Rate 87.4% 71.1% 83.2% 76.8% 70.0% 73.4% 2000-2002 Retention Rate 1993- 88.9% 68.3% 87.2% 75.3% 69.0% 72.4% 1998
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