Journal for Geometry and Graphics 16 (2012), No. 2, 247--256
Copyright Heldermann Verlag 2012
Relationship Between Strategies Used to Solve Spatial Orientation Problems and Examination Scores in Descriptive Geometry
Kumiko Shiina
The National Center for University Entrance Examinations, Komaba 2-19-23, Meguro-Ku, Tokyo 153-8501, Japan
shiina@rd.dnc.ac.jp
A spatial orientation problem (SO-problem), which was developed to evaluate non-curriculum-based ability, was administered to freshmen prior to a course of descriptive geometry (DG course) together with the Mental Cutting Test (MCT). In the SO-problem, several statements concerning the direction of walking and the angle of turning are given, and examinees are asked to identify the direction the person was or was not walking in at a certain point in the sequence. This paper focusses on the relationship between the SO-problem scores from a term-end test of the DG course. There was no significant relationship between the scores of the SO-problem and those of any problems of the DG term-end test. However, the correlation between scores from the MCT and those from the DG term-end test was significant. This suggests that abilities evaluated by the SO-problem differ from those evaluated by the MCT.
Keywords: Spatial ability, solving strategy, graphic education.
MSC: 97G80
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