Influence of BIM-Based Teaching Methodology on the Spatial Abilities of Construction Engineering Students

Spatial visualization skills are considered essential for a variety of professional careers, especially those related with architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC). A number of studies have proven that these skills are progressively acquired by AEC students during their years in college, being necessary specific pedagogical approaches for this purpose. Other 3D native design software has been proved to exert a positive influence on the spatial abilities of students in several fields, such as fine arts or civil engineering. In the field of AEC, BIM software stands out as an appropriate tool for this purpose, as it supports 3D-native design. This study was conducted to clarify the influence that working with BIM models has on the spatial abilities of the students to visualize constructive components in 3D; it was hypothesized that the effect would be positive to some extent, as in similar disciplines. To that end, an experiment was conducted with 73 undergraduate students in construction engineering, who attended an intensive 4-week workshop where they had to work with BIM models. The improvement in their spatial abilities was measured by the Mental Rotation Test (MRT) and, besides, a satisfaction survey was conducted. The results indicate that MRT scores improved between 3.8% and 15.5% and that students felt highly satisfied with this pedagogical approach. These results aim to help in implementing BIM in the academic curricula to maximize the educational outcomes of the students while gathering their assessment of BIM-based teaching methodologies.

Implementation of the Heinrich Spatial Visualization Test in a Virtual Environment

A virtual environment was developed for PC and Android to be used with a desktop display and the Gear VR, respectively. The goal with it is to measure and enhance the spatial skills of people, because the latter can be achieved by solving simple geometric problems. Originally, this virtual environment consisted only of three such tests, namely the Mental Rotation Test, Mental Cutting Test and Purdue Spatial Visualization Test. Measurements were done in the past with these tests, but now the Heinrich Spatial Visualization Test is also included in the virtual environment. In this paper, its implementation and future measurement plan are presented.

Effect of Time Constraint in Exploring Spatial Differences With Balanced Allocation of Performance Factors in a Redrawn Mental Rotation Test

To achieve a comprehensive and unbiased measurement, a mental rotation test (MRT) (cube form) was redrawn and administered with influential performance factors, namely, time constraint, item type, angular disparity, and rotation/flipping. Item type, angular disparity, and rotation/flipping were systematically balanced into the items of the redrawn Pentomino-MRT, and two time-constraint conditions were randomly assigned to 813 Grade 4 to 6 primary students when administering the test. Children of these ages are of investigative interest because they are at crucial stages of spatial ability development and are at an age where associated gender differences emerge. The study demonstrates that spatial gender differences can be detected in Grade 4, are more marked in Grade 5, and become stable in Grade 6. The importance of time constraint is acknowledged in how and at what grade gender differences emerge under the conditions of the performance factors investigated. In particular, the performance of girls reminds us to focus on their spatial ability development if later STEM-related field participation is of concern.

EXPRESS: Manual training of mental rotation performance: Visual representation of rotating figures is the main driver for improvements

Studies have demonstrated that manual and mental rotation show common processes. Training studies have shown that a manual and concurrent visual rotation improves mental rotation performance. In this study, we separated the visual rotation from the manual rotation. 121 participants were randomly assigned to visual training, manual rotation training, or manual training without rotational movement. Before and after the training session of 30 minutes, they had to solve a chronometric mental rotation test. Data were analyzed with linear mixed models and showed an improvement in mental rotation performance for all groups. However, this improvement did not differ between groups. Due to the independence of the form and occurrence of the manual activity, this suggests that it is not the motor activity but the concurrent visual rotation that leads to improvements in mental rotation tasks. Therefore, the visual component in mental rotation tasks has to be investigated in more detail.

Can (perceived) mental-rotation performance mediate gender differences in math anxiety in adolescents and young adults?

Math anxiety is a negative affective reaction in situations concerning mathematics and is related to poor math performance and a lower mathematical self-concept. Gender differences appear in math anxiety even though gender differences in math abilities are non-existent or minimal in effect size. In the present study, gender and age differences in math anxiety, mental-rotation performance, and perceived mental-rotation performance are investigated as well as (perceived) mental-rotation performance as possible mediators of the relation between gender and math anxiety. Ninety-seven children (54 females) between 11 and 15 years and 84 undergraduate students (59 females) solved a mental-rotation test, rated their performance in this test, and filled out a questionnaire about math anxiety. Increasing gender differences with age were found for math anxiety, mental-rotation performance, and perceived mental-rotation performance. Mental-rotation performance and perceived mental-rotation performance were significant individual mediators for gender differences in math anxiety. Adequate measures should be discussed to enhance females’ mental-rotation abilities and their perception of these skills to reduce gender differences in math anxiety.

Adaptive Training of the Mental Rotation Ability in an Immersive Virtual Environment

Virtual Reality (VR) opens new possibilities for the investigation and train-ing of Mental Rotational Ability (MRA), which is an important factor in the development of technical skills in several fields. Adaptive designs of MRA training environments realised by virtual technology could offer promising potentials and is investigated in this study. For the evaluation of effective-ness, the adaptive training environment is compared with the adequate ran-domised environment by assessing mental rotation ability in both conditions before and after training. As a dependent variable, the performance and its improvement in the virtual mental rotation test (VMRT), as well as the cog-nitive load, is measured. In addition, possible gender differences and their in-fluence on the training outcomes are determined. The study described here represents an innovative support option for MRA and provides an expandable empirical basis for VR-based adaptive trainings.

Use of Vandenberg and Kuse Mental Rotation Test to Predict Practical Performance of Sinus Endoscopy

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the predictive value of the Vandenberg and Kuse Mental Rotation Test (MRT) on performance of novice medical students for manipulation of a nasal endoscope on a cadaveric model. Material and Method: We randomly selected 39 medical students who had never handled a nasal endoscope and subjected them to the MRT. General information including experience in manual, technical, or surgical activities and testing of anatomical knowledge were collected to exclude possible confounding factors. They were then asked to perform series of cadaveric model exercises using a nasal endoscope. Their cadaver performance was evaluated by 2 blinded observers, using a standardized scale. Results: We found that medical students with higher mental rotation skills had significantly increased endoscopic sinus performance ( P = .0002 using multivariate regression adjusted for specialty choice, previous surgical exposure, and anatomy knowledge). Higher anatomy knowledge was also associated with better endoscopic sinus performance ( P = .0141). Other parameters had no impact on endoscopic sinus performance measured by the endoscopic scale ( P > .05). Conclusion: The score obtained on the MRT was correlated with the practical performance of manipulating the nasal endoscope in cadaver. It could therefore be a useful spatial ability tool for directing targeted training in rhinology.

Identifying solution strategies in a mental-rotation test with gender-stereotyped objects by analyzing gaze patterns

Many studies deal with solution strategies in mental-rotation tests. The approaches range from global analysis, attention to object parts, holistic and piecemeal strategy to a combined strategy. Other studies do not speak of strategies, but of holistic or piecemeal processes or even of holistic or piecemeal rotation. The methodological approach used here is to identify mental-rotation strategies via gaze patterns derived from eye-tracking data when solving chronometric mental-rotation tasks with gender-stereotyped objects. The mental-rotation test consists of 3 male-stereotyped objects (locomotive, hammer, wrench) and 3 female-stereotyped objects (pram, hand mirror, brush) rotated at eight different angles. The sample consisted of 16 women and 10 men (age: M=21.58; SD=4.21). The results of a qualitative analysis with two individual objects (wrench and brush) showed four different gaze patterns. These gaze patterns appeared with different frequency in the two objects and correlated differently with performance and response time. The results indicate either an object-oriented or an egocentric mental-rotation strategy behind the gaze patterns. In general, a new methodological approach has been developed to identify mental-rotation strategies bottom-up which can also be used for other stimulus types.

The effects of short-term low energy availability, achieved through diet or exercise, on cognitive function in oral contraceptive users and eumenorrheic women

To date, no research has explored the effects of low energy availability (EA) on cognitive performance using dietary and exercise regimens relevant to athletes. Twenty female participants (10 eumenorrheic, 10 oral contraceptive [OC] users) completed three, 3-day conditions: 1) controlled-balanced EA without exercise (BAL; 45 kcal·kg·LBM-1·day-1), 2) diet-induced low EA without exercise (DIET; 15 kcal·kg·LBM-1·day-1) and 3) exercise-induced low EA (EX; 15 kcal·kg·LBM-1·day-1, including 30 kcal·kg·LBM-1·day-1 treadmill running at 70% V̇O2max). A cognitive test battery was completed before and after each 3-day condition. Mental rotation test accuracy improved in the BAL condition, but there was a decline in accuracy in the EX condition (BAL, +2.5%; EX, -1.4%; P = 0.042, d = 0.85). DIET (+1.3%) was not different to BAL or EX (P > 0.05). All other measures of cognitive performance were not affected by condition (P > 0.05) and OC use did not affect cognitive responses (P > 0.05). Accuracy in the mental rotation test was impaired when low EA was induced through increased exercise energy expenditure. All other aspects of cognition were unaffected by three days of low EA through diet or exercise. OC use did not mediate the effect of low EA on cognition. Novelty bullets • Cognitive function was not affected by 3 days diet-induced low energy availability (EA). • Only spatial awareness was impaired during 3 days exercise-induced low EA. • Reproductive hormones affected spatial awareness independent of EA.