Efficacy of Various Spatial Visualization Implementation Approaches in a First-year Engineering Projects Course

Spatial visualization is the ability of an individual to imagine an object mentally and understand its spatial orientation. There have been multiple works proving that spatial visualization skills can be improved with an appropriate training. Such training warrant a critical place in the undergraduate engineering curricula in many engineering schools as spatial skills are considered vital for students’ success in the technical and design fields [1–4]. Enhanced spatial skills help not only professionals in the engineering field but also everyone in the 21st century environment. Drawing sectional views requires mental manipulation and visual thinking. To enhance students spatial reasoning, one of the authors of this study, conducted a class in spatial visualization. The course-learning goal aimed at improving first-year engineering students’ spatial reasoning through instruction on freehand drawings of sectional view. During the semester, two teaching assistants had to grade more than 500 assignments that consisted of sectional views of mechanical objects. This was a tedious and a time consuming task. Motivated by this experience, this paper proposes a software aiming at automating grading of students’ sectional view drawings. The proposed software will also give live feedback to students while they are working on the drawings. This interactive tool aims to 1) improve the learning experience of first year students, with limited CAD knowledge, and 2) introduce a pedagogical tool that can enhance spatial visualization training.

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The Teacher Effect: Explaining Retention Gains in First-year Engineering Projects Courses

10.18260/1-2--22104 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Daniel Knight ◽

Beverly Louie ◽

Jordan Hornback

Keyword(s):

First Year ◽

Teacher Effect ◽

Engineering Projects

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The Influence of Experience, Culture and Spatial Visualization Ability on Users' Attitudes and Anxiety Towards Computer Use

Human Factors in Information Systems ◽

10.4018/978-1-931777-10-0.ch019 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 269-280

Author(s):

Pieter Blignaut ◽

Theo McDonald ◽

Janse Tolmie

Keyword(s):

Computer Science ◽

Computer Use ◽

Computer Anxiety ◽

Spatial Visualization ◽

First Year ◽

Science Students ◽

African Students ◽

Independent Variables ◽

Two Independent Variables ◽

Visualization Ability

The attitude towards computer-related tasks, computer anxiety, and spatial visualization ability (SVA) of a group of first-year computer science students were measured just before their study commenced. The results were analyzed empirically based on two independent variables, i.e., culture and computer experience. It was found that African and European users generally have the same attitude towards computer use. Users’ attitudes improved after experience with computer-related tasks. African students experienced significantly higher levels of computer anxiety than their European counterparts with the same amount of experience. It was also found that African users generally have a lower SVA than European users. Users with higher SVA generally have a better attitude towards working with computers and experience a lower level of computer anxiety.

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Girls’ and Boys’ Enrollments in Theoretical Math Courses: A Longitudinal Study

Psychology of Women Quarterly ◽

10.1177/036168438100505s04 ◽

1981 ◽

Vol 5 (5_suppl) ◽

pp. 681-689 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Julia Sherman

Keyword(s):

Test Scores ◽

Math Achievement ◽

Academic Progress ◽

Spatial Visualization ◽

Perceived Usefulness ◽

Mathematics Attitudes ◽

First Year ◽

Math Scores ◽

Learning Mathematics ◽

Discriminant Analyses

Students ( n = 331) extensively tested in their first year of high school were followed up as seniors to see what courses in theoretical mathematics they had elected. Discriminant analyses for girls and boys were performed on the test scores, postdicting those who elected two, three or four years of theoretical math. Scores included math achievement (Test of Academic Progress), vocabulary (Quick Word Test), and the Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Attitudes Scales. For girls, the standardized weights of the discriminant function were highest for spatial visualization, vocabulary, perceived Usefulness of Mathematics, and Confidence in Learning Mathematics; for boys, Confidence in Learning Mathematics, math achievement, stereotyping Math as a Male Domain and Effectance Motivation in Mathematics were highest in discriminating those who had elected two, three, or four years of theoretical math.

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The Development and Assessment of a Course for Enhancing the 3-D Spatial Visualization Skills of First Year Engineering Students

Journal of Engineering Education ◽

10.1002/j.2168-9830.2000.tb00529.x ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 89 (3) ◽

pp. 301-307 ◽

Cited By ~ 104

Author(s):

Sheryl A. Sorby ◽

Beverly J. Baartmans

Keyword(s):

Engineering Students ◽

Spatial Visualization ◽

First Year

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First Year Engineering Projects to Senior Capstone Design: Are Students Gaining Technical and Professional Skills?

Volume 7: Engineering Education and Professional Development ◽

10.1115/imece2009-10905 ◽

2009 ◽

Author(s):

Daria Kotys-Schwartz ◽

Daniel Knight ◽

Gary Pawlas

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Engineering ◽

Engineering Students ◽

First Year ◽

Professional Skill ◽

Engineering Project ◽

Professional Skills ◽

Senior Design ◽

Design Skills ◽

Engineering Projects ◽

Capstone Design

Innovative curriculum reforms have been instituted at several universities and colleges with the intention of developing the technical competence and professional skills of engineering students. First Year Engineering Project (FYEP), or Freshman Design courses have been integrated into undergraduate engineering curricula across the country. Many of these courses provide students with hands-on engineering opportunities early in the curriculum. Senior Capstone Design (SCD) courses are ubiquitous in engineering programs, incorporating technical knowledge and real-world problem solving. Previous research has shown that project-driven classes like FYEP and SCD increase the professional and technical design skills of students. While research into first year and senior design skills development has been more robust, scant research investigating the transformation of skills between freshman design experiences and senior design experiences has been performed. This research project investigates the longitudinal technical and professional skill development of mechanical engineering students at the University of Colorado at Boulder. An overview of First-Year Engineering Projects and the mechanical engineering Senior Capstone Design project course is detailed. Technical and professional skill objectives are discussed within the paper. Pre and post skill surveys were utilized in both First-Year Engineering Projects and the Senior Capstone Design classes. Initial results indicate that student skills deteriorate between the end of the first-year and beginning of the senior year.

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Special session: IEEE Real World Engineering Projects: Discovery-based curriculum modules for first-year students

2012 Frontiers in Education Conference Proceedings ◽

10.1109/fie.2012.6462278 ◽

2012 ◽

Author(s):

Stephen Williams ◽

Anita Vasavada ◽

Jacques Nicolas Beneat ◽

Gregory Cappuccino ◽

David Lin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Real World ◽

First Year ◽

Special Session ◽

First Year Students ◽

Engineering Projects

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Contribution of Sex-Differentiated Experiences to Spatial and Mechanical Reasoning Abilities

Perceptual and Motor Skills ◽

10.2466/pms.1984.59.1.107 ◽

1984 ◽

Vol 59 (1) ◽

pp. 107-113 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Clifford E. Lunneborg ◽

Patricia W. Lunneborg

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Spatial Ability ◽

Spatial Visualization ◽

Spatial Abilities ◽

First Year ◽

Strongly Correlated ◽

First Year College ◽

Reasoning Abilities ◽

Mechanical Reasoning ◽

First Year College Students

For 137 women and 115 men first-year college students tested spatial visualization and mechanical reasoning were most strongly correlated with four everyday spatial abilities—understanding mathematics/science and graphs/charts, drafting and drawing things, and arranging objects. Despite greater practice on only 2 of 10 activities, men uniformly judged they had significantly better spatial ability compared to their same-gender peers than did the women.

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