Digitizing spatial visualization tests

Abstract

Geometry at technical faculties requires an interdisciplinary approach to determine learning outcomes. Teaching methods, student workload and grading methodology are based on learning outcomes. We are continuously checking students’ abilities in order to keep improving our teaching by adapting new tasks. In the Bologna process, learning outcomes is one of important quality assurance tools. Spatial conception testing has been conducted at the University of Ljubljana’s Faculty of Architecture (hereinafter: the FA) since 1999 and at the University of Rijeka’s Faculty of Civil Engineering (hereinafter: the CE) since 2016. In order to process data more quickly, we started using Microsoft Excel, and then in the 2016/17 academic year together with Lidija Pletenac from the CE we digitized mental rotation test (MRT) to DMRT followed by mental cutting test (MCT) to DMCT in the 2017/18 academic year. In this article the results of DMRT in academic year 2016/2017 and results of DMRT and DMCT in academic year 2017/2018 on both FA and CE are presented. It turned out that students that scored well on the DMCT did not necessarily score well DMRT, which shows that tests measure different parts of spatial conception. At the end of the year, the differences between students in their scores on the MRT at the FA were smaller than at the beginning. The reason for the improvements are all the courses (e.g. Descriptive Geometry, Free Hand Drawing,…) that improve spatial skills in the first year of study.