Role of Descriptive geometry course in development of students’ spatial visualization skills

Abstract

Spatial ability is of great importance for successful work in various fields such as computer graphics, engineering, architecture and cartography. A number of studies have demonstrated that Descriptive geometry courses have the potential to develop spatial skills. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of Descriptive geometry course with the current method of teaching on the spatial skills of students at the Faculty of Civil Engineering at the Technical University of Kosice. The study was conducted by a pretest and posttest method. The first grade students studying in the winter term of 2016 to 2017 educational year served as a sample for the study. A significant difference between the pretest and posttest scores was revealed by using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. The findings showed that Descriptive geometry course has a positive impact on development of students’ spatial skills. Although, the Descriptive geometry course provides numerous benefits, it is often regarded by students as one of the most difficult courses. The use of dynamic geometry software with the ability to represent three-dimensional space allows students to overcome the difficulties associated with the plot of this course. The future plans within Descriptive geometry teaching include integration of the dynamic geometry software GeoGebra into the educational process which should lead to the innovation and facilitation of the Descriptive geometry course. Keywords: Spatial ability, mathematics education, engineering education