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    Spatial Ability Development in the Geosciences

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    azu_td_geo_0040_sip1_w.pdf
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    Description:
    Master's Thesis Full PDF
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    Author
    Baldwin, Tammy Katherine
    Issue Date
    2003
    Keywords
    cognition
    college-level education
    concepts
    development
    education
    geographic information systems
    geology
    high school
    information systems
    K-12 education
    practice
    spatial variations
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    Advisor
    Hall-Wallace, Michelle
    Committee Chair
    Hall-Wallace, Michelle
    
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Publisher
    The University of Arizona.
    Rights
    Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the Antevs Library, Department of Geosciences, and the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author or the department.
    Collection Information
    This item is part of the Geosciences Theses collection. It was digitized from a physical copy provided by the Antevs Library, Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona. For more information about items in this collection, please email the Antevs Library, antevs@geo.arizona.edu.
    Abstract
    We designed an experiment to evaluate change in students' spatial skills as a result of specific interventions. Our test subjects included high school students in earth science classes, college level non-science majors enrolled in large enrollment introductory geoscience courses and introductory level geoscience students. All students completed spatial tests to measure their ability to mentally rotate three-dimensional objects and to construct a three-dimensional object from a two-dimensional representation. Results show a steady improvement in spatial skills for all groups. They also indicate that students choosing science majors typically have much higher spatial skills as they enter college. Specific interventions to improve spatial skills included having a subgroup of the non-science majors and high school students complete a suite of Geographic Information System (GIS) activities. The intervention at the high school level was more extensive and resulted in significant improvements in both categories of spatial ability. At the college level, the non-science majors that received the intervention showed no significant difference from those that did not, probably because the time spent on the intervention was too short. The geoscience majors had nearly three times the improvement of non-science majors in both categories of spatial ability attributed to hands-on weekly laboratory experiences. These results reveal a wide range of abilities among all groups of students, and suggest that we evaluate teaching strategies in all courses to ensure that students can interpret and understand the visual imagery used in lectures.
    Type
    text
    Thesis-Reproduction (electronic)
    Degree Name
    M.S.
    Degree Level
    masters
    Degree Program
    Graduate College
    Geosciences
    Degree Grantor
    University of Arizona
    Collections
    Geosciences Theses

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