The Malleability of Spatial Ability Under Treatment of a FIRST LEGO League Competition-Based Simulation

• In Event: Issues in Identification and Measurement of Student Abilities and Talent

Abstract

The spatial domain is rarely a focus in schools, to the detriment of the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) talent pool. The FIRST LEGO® League (FLL) has been suggested as a challenging spatial activity. A sample of 75 children between the ages of 9 and 14 was randomly selected from 144 volunteers from public school gifted programs and divided into experimental (n=38) and control groups (n=37). All participants took a measure of spatial ability. The experimental group then participated in a 20-hour simulation of the FLL competition. All participants were again given the spatial ability measure. The experimental group evidenced significantly greater pre-post total test gains than the control group. A Cohen’s d of 0.56 suggests a meaningful effect.

Author

• Steve Coxon, Maryville University