Describing the Technological Experiences Integrated Into a Spatial Skills Curriculum for Middle School Students

• In Event: 66.031 - Promoting STEM Learning and Engagement Through Rich Technological Experiences

Abstract

Curricular innovations that integrate technological experiences for students present unique challenges in terms of design and implementation. It is important to consider how teachers are provided with materials, resources, and training to successfully implement curricula that emphasize technology. One such curriculum innovation is the Developing Spatial Thinking (DST) program, a spatial intervention curriculum aimed at improving the spatial skills of students to enable success in STEM programs. The spatial curriculum is currently being used in middle school classrooms as part of a research grant from the Institute for Educational Sciences (Sorby, 2015). The curriculum consists of 10 modules and uses multiple technological experiences to improve students’ spatial skills. The aim of this presentation is two-fold: first, we will provide an overview of the technology and how it is used by teachers and students and second, we will present the results of a study of teachers’ perspectives about the technology.

The technology associated with the DST program includes narrated videos and a software program. The videos include narrated mini-lectures presentations that introduce the content for each of the modules in the curriculum. Additionally, some of the videos assist students with how to draw a 2D representation of a 3D object. The software uses an interactive approach to engage students in rotating and visualizing objects. A short example of the videos and software will be included in the presentation.

Through phenomenological interviews, we directly discussed with teachers how they saw the technology impacting their students. Some of the benefits that the teachers stated about the technology include the ability for students to work at their own pace, the ability to access the software when absent so the students would not be behind, and the mathematical conversations that students engaged in when working with the software. Teachers indicated that without the technology, these types of mathematical conversations were otherwise not heard in the classroom. This demonstrates the importance of the technology in learning spatial skills.

Overall, we found that the software was not only helpful in promoting student learning but it also assisted in promoting teacher learning. Teachers are not explicitly taught spatial skills themselves and so teaching the curriculum becomes a learning experience for them as well. The technological innovation therefore not only engaged students in learning spatial skills and mathematical discussions, but also served as a platform to assist teachers in learning the material so they can teach it to the students.

Authors

• Grace Panther, University of Cincinnati

• Sheryl Sorby, University of Cincinnati

• Norma Veurink, The Ohio State University

• David Henry Uttal, Northwestern University

• Kinnari Atit, University of California Riverside

• Jason Richard Power, Michigan Technological University

• Logan Fiorella, University of Georgia

• Camille Msall, Northwestern University