Abstract
As part of geography education, geography courses play an important role in the development of spatial ability. However, how geography courses affect map-based spatial ability has not been well documented. In this study, we use an eye-tracking method to explore the impact of geography courses on map-based spatial ability. We recruited 55 undergraduates from Beijing Normal University (BNU) to attend the map-based spatial ability test before and after six-month geography courses arranged by the Faculty of Geographical Science, BNU. The results show that the participants’ map-based spatial ability significantly improved after taking the geography courses; specifically, accuracy increased by 22.3% and response time decreased by 14.7% after training. We analysed two types of eye-movement behaviour; in terms of processing measures, the fixation duration of the topographic map decreased by 18.4% and the fixation distribution was more concentrated after training, and in terms of matching measures, participants have more switch times per second for both photographed scenes and topographic maps. Switch times between options decreased by 48.2%, which is a notable decrease. These empirical results are helpful for the design of geography courses that improve map-based spatial ability.
Highlights
Spatial ability is a fundamental ability used in daily life
Geographers benefit from geography education, including geography courses in college, and have more skills and knowledge to apply to geography problems that include reading maps and learning spatial skills
The two tests were separated by geography courses that lasted six months
Summary
Spatial ability is a fundamental ability used in daily life. Equipped with spatial ability, people could be quickly aware of an unfamiliar environment, acquire key environment information effectively and more put forward sustainable and realistic solutions to some spatial-based social issues and environmental problems. The definition of spatial ability has been continually argued over the past several decades [1], but it is recognized to be related to skills that involve the retrieval, retention, and transformation of visual information in spatial contexts [2]. Spatial orientation skill refers to the ability to imagine oneself or a configuration from different perspectives [3], while spatial visualization ability is the ability to mentally restructure or manipulate the components of visual stimuli and involves recognizing, retaining, and recalling configurations when the figure or parts are moved [4]. Map-based spatial ability includes basic map reading skills and critical map literacy. The latter involves possessing the knowledge and skills that enable analysis and evaluation of a map [5]
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