Implementation and first-year results of an engineering spatial skills enhancement program

Alexander John de Rosa, Maxine Fontaine

Research output: Contribution to journalConference articlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Spatial visualization skills are correlated with higher-level problem solving ability and associated with increased performance and retention in STEM fields. These skills are malleable but not typically taught in schools. To identify and assist first-year engineering students with low spatial ability, all first year engineering students in the Stevens Institute of Technology class of 2021 (N=459) took the Purdue Spatial Visualization Test: Rotations (PSVT:R). Students who scored below 70% were encouraged to participate in a 4-week spatial skills training workshop. Of the 134 female and 325 male first-year students, 37% of women and 19% of men did not initially pass the PSVT:R. Eighty-three percent (83%) of these women and 67% of these men elected to participate in the workshop. After completion of the workshop, the overall pass rate increased from 63% to 81% for women, and from 80% to 91% for men. The success of this workshop was notable based on participation, as well as post-workshop improvements in test scores, particularly for women.

Original languageEnglish
Article number257
JournalASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Conference Proceedings
Volume2020-June
StatePublished - 22 Jun 2020
Event2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference, ASEE 2020 - Virtual, Online
Duration: 22 Jun 202026 Jun 2020

Keywords

  • First-year programs
  • Gender differences
  • Spatial visualization skills

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Implementation and first-year results of an engineering spatial skills enhancement program'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this