SPATIAL THINKING & COMMUNICATING RESEARCH
Explore use of varied representations fundamental to spatial thinking & communicating.
Research Paper submitted for final review in CAADfutures’19. Extended abstract accepted.
- Tasks: Experiment Design, Observational setting in controlled setting, Data Collection, Data Analysis, Data Visualization, Inference Derivation
- Tools used: SolidWorks, Microsoft Excel, Tableau
- Project Duration: 5 months
- Team: Dr. Halil Erhan, Dr. John Dill, Dr. Barbara Berry, SIAT, SFU, Canada
Description of Purpose
Developing spatial thinking skills is essential in almost all branches of the academy. Briefly, spatial thinking is a collection of declarative and perceptual spatial concepts and thought processes including the ability to operate, transform, or combine these concepts and processes. The main components of spatial thinking are concepts of space, tools of representation, and processes of reasoning. Spatial thinking is used in both analysis and synthesis of spatial environments and object. While the prior is extensively discussed in the literature for way-finding, understanding spatial environments, whole-part relationships, synthesis aspects particularly involving design need further exploration.
We report our investigation on how our students demonstrate spatial thinking skills through using three modes of 3D object representation (sketches, physical and digital models) to determine if there is any relationship between the patterns of use of these representations and solving problems requiring spatial thinking. Our intention is to use the results of this exploratory study to review the pedagogical approaches taken and enhance the teaching and learning activities and assessments to strengthen students’ development of spatial thinking and communication ability.
PROCESS
We conducted a laboratory experiment that asked the students to solve a design task with a complexity level similar to the course projects: analyze an existing catapult mechanism and improve its design so that it can throw candy-size objects in any horizontal direction, and in two different vertical angle settings while located on a fixed base. The task designed for the experiment applies a wide range of design problems in various design domains including architecture, engineering, and even interface design. It involves analysis and synthesis of object-whole composition, spatial placement and orientation, spatial transformation etc.
GOAL
We examined the process the students followed in a lab setting to solve the following Spacial Thinking problem. The experiment is expected to provide insight regarding students’ ability to complete the task and the relationship between the task outcome and the process followed in using the three types of representation. The main goals of the study are to:
- How do the students use three forms of representation to solve a design problem requiring spatial thinking?
- What are the affordances of each type of representation in terms of solving various types of spatial problems?
- How does students’ use of the representations support analysis, synthesis, evaluation?
METHODOLOGY
We used a mixed method for developing a data encoding schema which revealed four main encoding categories: problem types, task types, representation types, and cognitive action types. When an observable change is identified in the change of the students’ moves in any of these categories, we marked them with time stamps by studying the video recordings. We also transcribed the participants’ oral comments and noted their actions.
The segmentation of the task performance data (mainly video recording and observation notes) is performed iteratively in three cycles of data encoding by three researchers. Along with this, the students’ solutions were evaluated by three design experts as referees using a rubric consistent with the questions we expected to answer. Along qualitative and quantitative tools, we relied on visual analytics to make sense of the experiment data
RESULTs
- Importance of knowing about materials, tools, and their affordances.
- Confidence in use of a representation tool determines which representation type is used, and the solution quality.
- Use of embodied representations: transient use of body parts and physical objects forms a pivotal part of synthesis.
- Sketches intended for description of solution:
- Were completely opaque to 3rd party
- Participants mostly created partial sketches
- Participants had difficulty in solving problems pertaining vertical aspect of spacial configuration.
