Improving Students' Visual Penetration Ability and Substrata Visualization in the Geologic Sciences with 3D Interactive Animation

空间思维可以被描述为解决问题的能力，这些问题既需要空间信息的外部表征，也需要空间信息的心理表征，同时还需要推理能力来生成原始问题中没有提供的信息。该项目包括：(1)理解视觉渗透的本质，这是地球科学中空间思维的一种形式；(2)创建一个使用三维互动动画（3DIA）的学习模块，以支持所有学生获得视觉渗透技能；(3)在地质学入门实验课程的背景下评估学习模块的有效性。本计画建立在先前CCLI计画的研究成果之上，该计画开发了一个教学模组，教导学生如何解读地形图及形象化地形图。使用这个教学模块有助于提高成绩和学习。该项目考察了涉及地质块的任务中空间思维的本质，并开发和评估了一个旨在提高学生执行这些任务的能力的教学模块。同样的方法也被用于开发3DIA模块，旨在提高大学水平地质学课程的视觉穿透能力和地下可视化。本项目的研究成果为认知科学、多媒体学习、科学教育和差异心理学等领域的研究提供了新的知识。这个项目有助于我们进一步了解技术在帮助空间能力低下的弱势群体方面所起的作用，而在这些领域中，解决空间问题是核心。由于这些领域很容易存在于STEM领域，因此拟议工作的结果有助于改善这些领域的本科教学。由于拟议的工作使用低成本技术，因此广泛分发的可能性很高。用于开发3DIA学习模块的方法可以应用于使用空间思维的任何领域（例如，解剖学、化学和数学）。

Geology (42) Spatial thinking can be characterized as the ability to solve problems that require both external and mental representations of spatial information while engaging reasoning abilities that generate information not provided in the original problem. This project includes: (1) understanding the nature of visual penetration, a form of spatial thinking in the geosciences; (2) creating a learning module that uses three-dimensional interactive animation (3DIA) to support the acquisition of visual penetration skills by all students; and (3) evaluating the effectiveness of the learning module within the context of an introductory laboratory course in geology. This project builds upon the findings of a prior CCLI project that developed an instructional module designed to teach students how to interpret topographic maps and visualize topographic profiles. The use of this instructional module contributed to improvements in performance and learning. This project is examining the nature of spatial thinking in tasks involving geologic blocks and involves developing and evaluating an instructional module designed to improve students' abilities to perform those tasks. The same approach is being taken to develop 3DIA modules designed to improve visual penetration ability and subsurface visualization for a college-level geology course. The results of this project are adding to the knowledge in the fields of cognitive science, multimedia learning, science education, and differential psychology. This project is helping to advance our understanding of the role that technology plays in aiding persons disadvantaged by low spatial ability in domains where spatial problem solving is central. As those domains readily exist in STEM areas, the outcome of the proposed work contributes to the improvement of delivery of undergraduate instruction in those areas. Because the proposed work uses low-cost technologies, the potential for widespread distribution is high. The approach being used to develop 3DIA learning modules can be applied to any domain in which spatial thinking is used (e.g., anatomy, chemistry, and mathematics).