Virtual Technologies to Develop Visual-Spatial Ability in Engineering Students

Abstract

The present study assessed a short training experiment to improve spatial abilities using two tools based on virtual technologies: one focused on manipulation of specific geometric virtual pieces, and the other consisting of virtual orienteering game. The two tools can help improve spatial abilities required for many engineering problem-solving procedures. The results indicated that training activities improved the components of space ability (mental rotation, spatial visualization, and spatial orientation). In addition, it was concluded that there were no differences between men and women with respect to spatial ability levels before or after the training experiment. This fact resulted from masked training relating to daily living and leisure activities that are usually indistinctly performed by men and women in developed and industrialized countries.

Virtual Learning Environments to Enhance Spatial Orientation

“…Most recent research (Roca-González et al, 2017) on the development of the spatial orientation skill, in which the use of maps was combined with VR, showed similar gains as those obtained with the SDI, GISc and AR workshops. This, together with the results obtained in the present research, confirms the importance of cartography as a complement to virtual reality and another methodologies and techniques for the acquisition of spatial ability.…”

“…Some references have been cited in which the result by gender is similar (Roca-González et al, 2017;Carbonell et al, 2011;Carbonell et al, 2012;Carbonell and Bermejo 2017), although there is also other research that concluded otherwise (Carbonell, 2017). Liu et al (2011) found, in study of gender with different orientation strategies, that there was no difference in tasks related to spatial orientation like landmark recognition and left-right orientation, and that males were better than females in path reversal and cognitive maps.…”

The Effectiveness of Using Stereoscopic 3D for Proportion Estimation in Product Design Education

“…While most literature focused on the techniques and tools for improving the abilities of spatial relations, spatial visualization, or spatial orientation (Alqahtani et al, 2017;Nagy-Kondor, 2017;Roca-González et al, 2017), the present study focused on training the synthesis ability of proportion estimation. Furthermore, the experimental S3D system provided users with binocular depth cue, overcoming the limitation of traditional Virtual Reality or Augmented Reality systems that offered only monocular depth cues.…”

“…In order to improve the spatial ability (i.e., spatial relations, spatial visualization, and spatial orientation) of new engineering students, VR and AR were used in a training experiment (Roca-González, Martin-Gutierrez, García-Dominguez, & Carrodeguas, 2017). Recently, stereoscopic 3D (S3D) displays, which have binocular disparity, have been used to present teaching materials for product design education or architecture design education (Smith et al, 2005;Chen, Cheng, Chu, & Sandnes, 2015).…”

Αξιοποίηση του ψηφιακού εργαλείου Unity 3d σε συνδυασμό με flippedclassroom στον προσανατολισμό μαθητών με ειδικές ανάγκες

“…Τα VLE έχουν δείξει μεγάλες δυνατότητες στη διδασκαλία και τη μάθηση και συμβάλουν ουσιαστικά τόσο στη συνεργατική μάθηση όσο και στη μάθηση βασισμένη σε προβλήματα (Duncan et al, 2012). Ψηφιακά εργαλεία βασισμένα σε εικονικές τεχνολογίες βοηθούν ιδιαίτερα στη βελτίωση των χωρικών δυνατοτήτων, ειδικότερα παιχνίδια βασισμένα σε εικονική περιστροφή βελτιώνουν σημαντικά τις χωρικές ικανότητας που απαιτούνται σε πολλές διαδικασίες μηχανικής επίλυσης προβλημάτων (Roca-González et al, 2017). Η εξοικείωση με σχηματικές αναπαραστάσεις σχετίζεται και αναπτύσσει τις δεξιότητες επίλυσης προβλήματος (vanGarderen & Montague, 2003).…”