Relationship Between Spatial Skills and Performance in Introductory Computer Graphics

Abstract

Previous research has shown a correlation between spatial reasoning skills and success in many STEM subjects including computing. More recent research suggests not just a correlation but also a causation, i.e., students' achievements in computing can be improved by improving spatial reasoning skills. So far most of the literature in the education field has treated spatial skills as a single entity, e.g., authors often only measured or trained one specific skill, or did not differentiate between different skills during assessment. We investigate how students' success in introductory computer graphics is correlated to different types of spatial skills. The results of a user study with 36 participants suggest that success in introductory computer graphics is correlated to students' abilities in mental rotation and spatial visualisation but is not correlated with spatial perception skills. We also found a large variation of spatial abilities in the student cohort. We discuss possible reasons for our results and implications for teaching and learning.