Understanding and Teaching Spatial Competence

该计划的重点是空间表示和推理的收购。研究人员认为，为了实现他们在空间能力方面设计最佳教育计划的长期目标，他们必须首先了解空间学习的本质，并确定导致该领域更高成就的经验类型，对此知之甚少。他们先前的研究表明，空间认知的发展对输入高度敏感，因此具有可塑性。目前的项目汇集了来自认知科学领域的研究人员。他们将探索空间智能的三个方面，可能是相互关联的：首先，团队的一部分将研究如何通过训练对空间表征进行操作的心理过程来直接增强空间专业知识。其次，团队的另一部分将研究如何通过地图和语言来增强空间推理。第三，团队的其余部分将研究如何通过将测量和图形应用于定量信息来增强空间推理。

The focus of the program is on the acquisition of spatial representation and reasoning. The researchers believe that in order to achieve their long-term goal of devising optimal education programs in spatial competence, they must first come to understand the nature of spatial learning and determine the types of experiences that lead to higher achievement in the domain, about which relatively little is known. Their previous research indicates that the development of spatial cognition is highly sensitive to input and thus is malleable. The current project brings together researchers from across cognitive science. They will explore three, presumably interrelated, aspects of spatial intelligence: First, one part of the team will investigate how spatial expertise can be enhanced directly by training the mental processes that operate on spatial representations. Second, another part of the team will investigate how spatial reasoning can be enhanced through maps and language. Third, the remaining part of the team will investigate how spatial reasoning can be enhanced by applying measurement and graphs to quantitative information.