Studies show that spatial skills are essential to engineering success, and particularly in engineering graphics courses. Research also shows that sketching is important in developing spatial skills. Aimed at improving the spatial skills of engineering students, an intervention was developed consisting of a workbook and software (Sorby et al.,…

Spatial ability, particularly the cognitive capacity for mental rotations, is a critical component of human cognition. Proficiency with mental rotation tasks is linked with educational performance in various Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines, and with more general tasks such as real world wayfinding. Spatial…

Previous studies found that students enrolled in introductory engineering graphics courses at a historically black university (HBCU) had significantly lower than average test scores on the Purdue Spatial Visualization Test: Visualization of Rotations (PSVT) when it was administered during the first week of class. Since the ability to visualize is…

Reports on a study to determine whether the presence of coordinate axes in a test of spatial-visualization ability affects scores and response times on a mental-rotations task for students enrolled in undergraduate introductory graphic communications classes. Based on Pavios's dual-coding theory. Contains 36 references. (DDR)

Students' reactions and performances were examined when taught engineering geometry concepts using a standard microcomputer-aided drafting software package. Two sample groups were compared based on their computer experience. Included are the methodology, data analysis, and conclusions. (KR)