Exploring the Role of Spatial Visualization in Design Process of Undergraduate Engineering Students

Gibin Raju; Sheryl A. Sorby; Clodagh Reid

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Conference: 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Baltimore , Maryland
Publication Date: June 25, 2023
Start Date: June 25, 2023
End Date: June 28, 2023
Conference Session: Engineering Design Graphics Division (EDGD) Technical Session 1
Tagged Division: Engineering Design Graphics Division (EDGD)
Page Count: 13
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--43648
Permanent URL: https://strategy.asee.org/43648
Download Count: 147

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Paper Authors

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Gibin Raju University of Cincinnati orcid.org/0000-0003-2559-6931

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Gibin Raju is Research Assistant with the Department of Engineering and Computing Education at the University of Cincinnati. He is also Ph.D. student in Engineering Education with the College of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Cincinnati. His research interests are focused on spatial visualization, engineering design, problem solving, cognitive load and stress, stem accessibility issues, workforce development, ID/ODD, and education practices in STEM.

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Sheryl A. Sorby University of Cincinnati

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Dr. Sheryl Sorby is currently a Professor of STEM Education at the University of Cincinnati and was recently a Fulbright Scholar at the Dublin Institute of Technology in Dublin, Ireland. She is a professor emerita of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mec

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Clodagh Reid Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest orcid.org/0000-0002-8593-1730

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PhD in spatial ability and problem solving in engineering education from Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest. Graduated in 2017 from the University of Limerick with a B. Tech (Ed.). Member of Technology Education Research Group (TERG).

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Abstract

This research paper details a study investigating the relation between spatial visualization skills and design problem-solving for undergraduate engineering students. Design is outlined as one of the seven attributes that engineering students must demonstrate prior to their graduation as set out through the ABET guidelines. It is important to understand the factors that contribute to design capability in order to achieve this learning goal. Design problems by their nature are cognitive tasks and as such require problem solvers to draw both on learned knowledge and pertinent cognitive abilities. In the context of engineering design problem solving, spatial visualization is one such cognitive ability. Previous research has demonstrated a link between spatial visualization and design. This work aims to advance on that research by exploring how visualization relates to the creativity of designs produced by engineering students.

There were three phases to data collection for this research. In the first phase, 127 undergraduate engineering students completed four spatial tests. In the second phase 101 students returned to complete three design tasks. This paper will focus on one of these tasks, the Ping Pong problem where individuals are asked to design a ping pong launcher to hit a target from a given distance at a specific height. A purposive sample of 9 freshmen students were selected to engage in a think aloud protocol during the problem based on their spatial visualization skills (high, mid and low). This think aloud protocol was used to develop design timelines for each of the 9 participants. The third phase of data collection involved an Adaptive Comparative Judgement (ACJ) session where engineering educators were asked to evaluate the Ping Pong problem solutions of all 101 participants based on creativity. This information was used to identify where the 9 participants with high, mid and low visualization were positioned in terms of creativity amongst the larger group.

Through analysis of the design timelines and creativity identified from the ACJ session, initial insights indicate that there may be an association between the spatial skills of students and the creativity of their design solutions. These insights will be discussed relative to their potential influence on engineering education, specifically in developing design capability.

Citation
Format

Raju, G., & Sorby, S. A., & Reid, C. (2023, June), Exploring the Role of Spatial Visualization in Design Process of Undergraduate Engineering Students Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--43648

TY - CPAPER
AB - This research paper details a study investigating the relation between spatial visualization skills and design problem-solving for undergraduate engineering students. Design is outlined as one of the seven attributes that engineering students must demonstrate prior to their graduation as set out through the ABET guidelines. It is important to understand the factors that contribute to design capability in order to achieve this learning goal. Design problems by their nature are cognitive tasks and as such require problem solvers to draw both on learned knowledge and pertinent cognitive abilities. In the context of engineering design problem solving, spatial visualization is one such cognitive ability. Previous research has demonstrated a link between spatial visualization and design. This work aims to advance on that research by exploring how visualization relates to the creativity of designs produced by engineering students.

There were three phases to data collection for this research. In the first phase, 127 undergraduate engineering students completed four spatial tests. In the second phase 101 students returned to complete three design tasks. This paper will focus on one of these tasks, the Ping Pong problem where individuals are asked to design a ping pong launcher to hit a target from a given distance at a specific height. A purposive sample of 9 freshmen students were selected to engage in a think aloud protocol during the problem based on their spatial visualization skills (high, mid and low). This think aloud protocol was used to develop design timelines for each of the 9 participants. The third phase of data collection involved an Adaptive Comparative Judgement (ACJ) session where engineering educators were asked to evaluate the Ping Pong problem solutions of all 101 participants based on creativity. This information was used to identify where the 9 participants with high, mid and low visualization were positioned in terms of creativity amongst the larger group.

Through analysis of the design timelines and creativity identified from the ACJ session, initial insights indicate that there may be an association between the spatial skills of students and the creativity of their design solutions. These insights will be discussed relative to their potential influence on engineering education, specifically in developing design capability.

AU - Gibin Raju
AU - Sheryl A. Sorby
AU - Clodagh Reid
CY - Baltimore , Maryland
DA - 2023/06/25
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Exploring the Role of Spatial Visualization in Design Process of Undergraduate Engineering Students
UR - https://strategy.asee.org/43648
DO - 10.18260/1-2--43648
ER -