ProjectProject

Assessing and improving spatial ability for design-based disciplines utilising online systems

Project Information

Year Funded:
2007
Grant (ex GST):
$196,331
Project Status:
Ongoing
Program:
Competitive Grants
Project Keywords:
Engineering and Technology, Science
Project Discipline:
Science

Institutions

  • The University of Newcastle (Lead)
  • Edith Cowan University
  • La Trobe University
  • Southern Cross University
  • Michigan Technological University (USA)

Project Leader

  1. Mr Ken Sutton
    The University of Newcastle
    Ken [dot] Sutton [at] newcastle [dot] edu [dot] au

Project Outcome

Resource for educators and students consisting of four online components, including: a psychometric instrument to assess spatial ability; interactive learning tasks to improve spatial ability; a remediation module for poor performers; and specific learning tasks to address gender differences in spatial ability. Collectively the resource is to be developed to assist in assessing and improving spatial ability.

Project Methodology

Consists of four phases:
  1. Investigation: Conduct task analysis to identify spatial skills essential to design disciplines. Includes literature review, consultation and interviews. Apply standard psychometric procedures to produce ideas for test items and learning tasks.
  2. Assessment Instrument: Develop a psychometric test of spatial ability consisting of subtests of unique test items. To be used to assess performance across a range of spatial skills appropriate to designers. Measures choice accuracy and response times.
  3. Learning Tasks: Develop learning tasks to improve spatial ability based on active exploration. Allows interaction and learner-controlled manipulation of 3D objects. Consists of several modules that target different abilities identified by the psychometric test.
  4. Analysis and Evaluation: Perform item analysis to determine item reliability for psychometric test. Conduct studies to determine validity and correlation. For learning tasks, conduct studies to compare a control group with a treatment group. Conduct statistical analysis to compare results within and between groups.

Abstract

Spatial ability is an emerging trend for design. Spatial ability can be defined as the performance on tasks that require mental rotation of objects, the ability to understand how objects appear at different angles and how objects relate to each other in space. Spatial ability is fundamental to the various aspects of design cognition. This project will develop an online resource for educators and students which will consist of a psychometric instrument to assess spatial ability, interactive learning tasks to improve spatial ability, a remediation module for poor performers and specific learning tasks to address gender differences in spatial ability. This resource will collectively assess and help to improve design students’ spatial ability.

The information on this project's page was correct at the time of funding. Changes may have occurred since.

The information on this project's page was updated 1 April, 2009.

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