Abstract
This study reported on development and evaluation of a learning program that integrated a multidimensional diagnostic assessment with two different learning interventions with the aim to diagnose and improve three-dimensional mental rotation skills. The multidimensional assessment was built upon the Diagnostic Classification Model (DCM) framework that can report the binary mastery on each specific rotation skill. The two learning interventions were designed to train students to use a holistic rotation strategy and a combined analytic and holistic strategy, respectively. The program was evaluated through an experiment paired with multiple exploratory and confirmatory statistical analysis. Particularly, the recently proposed joint models for response times and response accuracy within dynamic DCM framework is applied to assess the effectiveness of the learning interventions. Compared with the traditional assessment on spatial skills, where the tests are timed and number correct is reported as a measure for test-takers' performances, the developed dynamic diagnostic assessment can provide an informative estimate of the learning trajectory for each participant in terms of the strengths and weaknesses in four fine-grained spatial rotation skills over time. Compared with an earlier study that provided initial evidence of the effectiveness of building a multidimensional diagnostic assessment with training tools, the present study improved the assessment and learning intervention design. Using both response times and response accuracy, thus current study additionally evaluated the newly developed program by investigating the effectiveness of two interventions across gender, country and rotation strategy.
Highlights
Spatial ability has long been considered as an important dimension of human intelligence through the studies in various populations and settings (e.g., Carroll, 1993; Eliot, 2012)
Efforts to improve spatial skills have involved having participants practice on existing spatial skills tests or have involved extensive training in several aspects of spatial skills. These instruction are time consuming and are not responsive to individual students’ strengths and weaknesses. This present study reported the development of a learning program that aims to improve mental rotation skills from a new perspective
The rest of this section reports the results from the dynamic response model and dynamic response time model portion of the joint model
Summary
Spatial ability has long been considered as an important dimension of human intelligence through the studies in various populations and settings (e.g., Carroll, 1993; Eliot, 2012). All 2-D and 3-D mental rotation tests involve presenting a target item and several solutions and the test taker has to mentally rotate the target to select the correct solution One problem in this area is that little is known about the psychometric qualities of spatial skills tests or how or why students’ performance differs as a function of test items. Holistic strategies involve rotating the entire object whereas analytic strategies involve matching parts of rotated objects to determine the correct answer Both these two strategies can produce good outcomes but the holistic strategies are typically considered better examples of spatial processing and they seem to be more efficient and effective for more cognitive demanding spatial items; items that require multiple, simultaneous rotations or that are complex (Wang and Carr, 2014). Existing literature about mental rotation strategy concluded that male and female students, Chinese Speakers and English Speakers may use different rotation strategies when solving spatial rotation questions (Weiss et al, 2003; Geiser et al, 2008; Li and O’Boyle, 2013; Li et al, 2014; Stieff et al, 2014)
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