Shikellamy High School, Sunbury, PA, 17801, USA.
Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA.
Cogn Res Princ Implic. 2020 Nov 25;5(1):61. doi: 10.1186/s41235-020-00263-0.
This article represents the findings from the qualitative portion of a mixed methods study that investigated the impact of middle school students' spatial skills on their plate tectonics learning while using a computer visualization. Higher spatial skills have been linked to higher STEM achievement, while use of computer visualizations has mixed results for helping various students with different spatial levels. This study endeavors to better understand the difference between what high and low spatial-skilled middle school students notice and interpret while using a plate tectonic computer visualization. Also, we examine the differences in the quantity and quality of students' spatial language. The collected data include student spatial scores, student interviews, screencasts, and online artifacts. The artifacts were students' answers to questions inserted in an online curriculum (GEODE) with the embedded computer visualization (Seismic Explorer). Students were asked what they "noticed" during interviews and in the curriculum. Typed student answers and interviews were analyzed for types and quantity of spatial words. Analysis of typed answers and interviews indicated that there are differences in the number and types of spatial words used by high or low spatial students. Additionally, high spatial learners talk about depth, notice patterns in data and are more likely to make a hypothesis to explain what they see on the screen. Findings suggest that students go through an iterative cycle of noticing and interpreting when using a scientific model. Overall, results show a significant positive relationship between spatial skills and what students notice while learning plate tectonics. An explanation for the increased gain in plate tectonics comprehension is that students with higher spatial skills notice more, so they are able to interpret more details of the model. This finding implies that students with low spatial skills do not benefit as much from use of a computer visualization and will need more scaffolding in order to interpret details in the computer visualization.
本文代表了一项混合方法研究的定性部分的研究结果，该研究调查了中学生的空间技能对他们在使用计算机可视化进行板块构造学习的影响。较高的空间技能与较高的 STEM 成就相关，而使用计算机可视化对帮助具有不同空间水平的不同学生的效果则好坏参半。本研究旨在更好地理解高空间技能和低空间技能中学生在使用板块构造计算机可视化时注意到和解释的差异。此外，我们还研究了学生空间语言的数量和质量上的差异。收集的数据包括学生的空间技能分数、学生访谈、屏幕录像和在线作品。作品是学生对在线课程（GEODE）中嵌入的计算机可视化（地震探测器）问题的回答。学生被要求在访谈和课程中回答他们“注意到”的内容。对学生的打字回答和访谈进行了分析，以确定空间词汇的类型和数量。对打字回答和访谈的分析表明，高空间学生和低空间学生在使用的空间词汇的数量和类型上存在差异。此外，高空间学习者会谈论深度，注意数据中的模式，并且更有可能提出假设来解释他们在屏幕上看到的内容。研究结果表明，学生在使用科学模型时会经历一个注意和解释的迭代循环。总体而言，结果表明空间技能与学生在学习板块构造时注意到的内容之间存在显著的正相关关系。板块构造理解能力提高的一个解释是，空间技能较高的学生注意到的内容更多，因此能够解释模型的更多细节。这一发现意味着空间技能较低的学生从计算机可视化的使用中受益较少，他们需要更多的支架来解释计算机可视化中的细节。
