Spatial Visualization Skills At Various Educational Levels

Spatial visualization skills are important in engineering graphics and computer-aided design courses, especially in solid modeling, which has gained popularity in recent years. Some research has been done to investigate if visualization skills can be improved through training. The research typically compares the pretest and posttest scores of students taking a graphics or computer-aided design course. However, results usually were not conclusive. This paper presents a comprehensive study on spatial visualization skills at various educational levels. The Purdue Spatial Visualization Test – Rotation was given to high school students, college students at different levels, and high school teachers. The spatial visualization skills among different educational levels were compared. Other possible factors, such as age and gender, were also investigated. Statistical analyses of the data revealed the effects of long term training and general education on the improvement of visualization skills.

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