1. www.EngageEngineering.org 1 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Removing Barriers to Success in Engineering: Reducing Gender Differences in 3-D Spatial Skills Sheryl A. Sorby Professor of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics Michigan Technological University

2. www.EngageEngineering.org 2 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Importance of Spatial Skills Many historical scientific discoveries have been linked to well-developed spatial skills Well-developed spatial skills have been shown to lead to success in: Engineering and Technology Computer Science Chemistry Computer Aided Design Mathematics

3. www.EngageEngineering.org 3 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Specific examples: Importance of well- developed spatial skills Spatial skills correlated with ease in learning CAD software and in using GIS Spatial skills correlated with the ability to understand visualizations of complex phenomena Spatial skills correlated with ability to learn to use laproscopic equipment Spatial skills curriculum called for by AAAS in a recent “Learning to think spatially” Geoscientists played important role in developing this document

4. www.EngageEngineering.org 4 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Example: Ease of Learning CAD software Study conducted in Fall 2006 with first-year engineering students Students were pre-tested with a test designed to assess 3-D spatial skills Divided into three groups: High Visualizers, Average Visualizers, and Low Visualizers CAD software instruction module followed At end of instructional module, students were given a survey regarding their perceptions of learning the software

5. www.EngageEngineering.org 5 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Study Results (5-point scale—Higher numbers=more difficulty) (n=329) LowAvgHigh Confidence in starting assignment 2.752.121.91 Ease in planning modeling approach 2.642.081.91 Time spent modeling part 2.291.811.84 Number of times starting over 2.041.691.65 Ease of working with software 3.022.642.73 Amount of Assistance required 2.332.171.77 Ease in learning compared to teammates 2.872.492.35

6. www.EngageEngineering.org 6 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Stages of Development in Spatial Skills According to Piaget, there are three stages of development in spatial skills Stage 1: Topological Skills—an object’s closeness to others, its order in a group, and its isolation or enclosure in a group Primarily 2-D skills acquired by age 3-4 Stage 2: Projective Skills—perceiving what objects would look like if rotated or transformed in space Primarily 3-D skills acquired by students in middle school, especially for familiar objects Stage 3: Euclidean Skills—combining projective skills with concepts of measurement Many individuals never acquire these skills

7. www.EngageEngineering.org 7 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Assessing Spatial Skills Most standardized instruments have been developed to assess attainment of spatial skills at first two stages of development For engineering and technology, projective skills are most important Mental rotation skills are particularly important

8. www.EngageEngineering.org 8 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Purdue Spatial Visualization Test: Rotations (PSVT:R)

9. www.EngageEngineering.org 9 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Differential Aptitude Test: Space Relations (DAT:SR)

10. www.EngageEngineering.org 10 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Mental Cutting Test (MCT)

11. www.EngageEngineering.org 11 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Gender Differences in Spatial Skills In research conducted over the past ~100 years, significant gender differences favoring males have been observed in 3-D spatial skills Differences for 2-D spatial skills are not typically found Differences have been linked to hormonal levels as well as to environmental factors Differences are particularly robust in mental rotations

12. www.EngageEngineering.org 12 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Background Factors in the Development of Spatial Skills for Engineering Students Play with construction toys Shop, drafting, and mechanics classes 3-D computer games Certain sports Mathematics skills Sketching Most factors in developing skills have a certain degree of gender bias favoring males

13. www.EngageEngineering.org 13 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Spatial Skills and Engineering Graphics A 1985 study at Michigan Tech determined that a student’s score on the PSVT:R was the most significant predictor of success of eleven variables tested in engineering graphics Gender differences on PSVT:R were statistically significant

14. www.EngageEngineering.org 14 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. IF….. Spatial skills are critical to success in engineering graphics Graphics is one of the first “engineering” courses that students take Spatial skills of women lag behind those of their male counterparts

15. www.EngageEngineering.org 15 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. WILL…. Women become discouraged in this introductory course at a disproportionate rate and drop out of engineering or technology as a result?

16. www.EngageEngineering.org 16 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Spatial Skills Project: Phase 1—Initial Development Received funding from the NSF in 1993 to develop a course and materials for improving spatial skills Course topics were ordered in a manner thought to develop spatial skills Textbook and computer exercises written over the summer of 1993

17. www.EngageEngineering.org 17 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. A Course for the Development of Spatial Skills GN102 offered beginning in the fall of 1993 First-year engineering students administered the PSVT:R during orientation 96 students failed PSVT:R with a score of 60% or lower Women were around 17% of the group tested and 43% of the group failing the PSVT:R Random sample of 24 students selected for participation in GN102

18. www.EngageEngineering.org 18 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. PSVT:R Performance Male-Female Differences Statistically Significant

19. www.EngageEngineering.org 19 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Course Topics Isometric Sketching Orthographic Projection 2-D to 3-D Object Transformations 3-D Coordinate Systems Object Translations Object Scaling Object Rotations Object Reflections Cross-Sections of Solids Surfaces and Solids of Revolution Combining Objects

20. www.EngageEngineering.org 20 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Course Structure GN102 a 3-credit course (quarter system) with two hours of lecture and one 2-hour computer lab per week Hand-held models used wherever possible Computer lab utilized I-DEAS solid modeling software

21. www.EngageEngineering.org 21 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Gains in Spatial Skills Students were given PSVT:R as part of their final exam Average pre-test score = 51.7% Average post-test score = 82.0% Gain scores were statistically significant (p<0.0001) No gender differences in average pre-/post-test scores for GN102 students

22. www.EngageEngineering.org 22 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Spatial Skills Project: Phase 2— Maintenance GN102 offered each fall quarter Engineering students were administered PSVT:R during orientation People who failed encouraged to enroll in GN102 Students administered PSVT:R as part of their final exam

23. www.EngageEngineering.org 23 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. PSVT:R Test Results Gains statistically significant

24. www.EngageEngineering.org 24 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Spatial Skills Project: Phase 3—Multimedia Software Additional NSF funding received in 1998 to develop multimedia software and a workbook for enhancing spatial skills Nine modules developed over a two-year period Students rated the software and workbook favorably

25. www.EngageEngineering.org 25 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Curriculum Revision Course modified in fall 2000 to be nearly “self-paced” Michigan Tech switched from quarters to semesters Take advantage of software and workbook development

26. www.EngageEngineering.org 26 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Semester Course Format One 1.5-hour lab session per week for one credit Short mini-lecture (~10-15 minutes) at beginning of session Students work through software module in teams of two Students complete workbook pages for remainder of time

27. www.EngageEngineering.org 27 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Course Modules Isometric Sketching Orthographic Projection with Normal Surfaces Orthographic Projection with Inclined and Curved Surfaces Flat Pattern Developments Rotation of Objects about a Single Axis Rotation of Objects about Two or more Axes Object Reflection and Symmetry Cross-Sections Surfaces and Solids of Revolution Combining Objects

28. www.EngageEngineering.org 28 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Multimedia Software and Workbook Each software module has a background section and an exercise section Exercises are primarily matching or fill in the blank Workbook modules include background information as well as multiple exercises Additional Sketching exercises available in the workbook

29. www.EngageEngineering.org 29 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Assessment of Gains on Spatial Skills Test- PSVT:R nPre- Test Post- Test GainSignificance of Gain Original Course 18650.576.926.4p<0.0001 Modified Course 15748.373.725.4p<0.0001

30. www.EngageEngineering.org 30 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Assessment of Gains on Spatial Skills Test- DAT:SR nPre- Test Post- Test GainSignificance of Gain Original Course 9962.378.316.0p<0.0001 Modified Course 11062.177.915.8p<0.0001

31. www.EngageEngineering.org 31 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Assessment of Gains on Spatial Skills Test-MCT nPre- Test Post- Test GainSignificance of Gain Original Course 9937.951.413.5p<0.0001 Modified Course 10934.852.617.8p<0.0001

32. www.EngageEngineering.org 32 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Spatial Skills Project: Phase 4—Long Term Assessment Transcripts examined for students who failed the PSVT:R between 1993 and 1998 and between 2000 and 2002 Students who enrolled in spatial skills course were “Experimental Group” (EG) Students who did not enroll in spatial skills course were “Comparison Group” (CG)

33. www.EngageEngineering.org 33 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Average GPA in Graphics Courses— 1993-98 Females CG=2.71 (n=148) EG=3.02 (n=116) Difference statistically significant (p<0.02) Males CG=2.55 (n=274) EG=2.87 (n=121) Difference statistically significant (p<0.005) Male-Female differences within groups not significant No other differences in Grades observed

34. www.EngageEngineering.org 34 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Average GPAs for Students in EG and CG semester course CourseEG GPACG GPASignificance of Diff of Means Engineering I 3.042.62p<0.0005 Engineering II 2.942.71p<0.001 Calculus I 2.782.35p<0.001 Chemistry I 2.702.56p<0.1 Physics I 2.252.02p<0.02 Overall 3.002.64p<0.0005

35. www.EngageEngineering.org 35 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Retention Rates-Overall WomenMen EGCGPEGCGP Retention Rate ENG1002 87.4%71.1%83.2%76.8%70.0%73.4% Retention Rate GN102 88.9%68.3%87.2%75.3%69.0%72.4%

36. www.EngageEngineering.org 36 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Retention Rates-College of Engineering WomenMen EGCGPEGCGP Retention Rate ENG1002 66.7%62.3%70.5%58.5%57.5%63.9% Retention Rate GN102 76.7%47.8%70.7%61.2%52.0%62.1%

37. www.EngageEngineering.org 37 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Spatial Skills Course at Michigan Tech-2009 During orientation, students are tested with the PSVT:R Those who fail the test are required to enroll in the spatial skills course Counts as a free elective Similar to the requirement of pre-calc for those not ready for calculus Similar to the requirement of prep-chemistry for those not ready for chemistry

38. www.EngageEngineering.org 38 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Recent Studies Tested software and workbook with new audiences Undergraduate students outside engineering Mostly Computer Science and Biology High school Geometry course Middle school Integrated Technology course Materials were effective with each of these audiences Significant findings follow

39. www.EngageEngineering.org 39 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Logistic Regression Results from Research with non-engineering majors Both groups that used the workbook were significantly better than the CG Software only group was not better than CG

40. www.EngageEngineering.org 40 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Average GPAs in Study with Students Outside of Engineering (all students randomly assigned to groups) Experimental GroupComparison Group Pre-Calc3.00 (n=13) 2.50 (n=23) Calculus I3.12 (n=13) 2.61 (n=27) Chemistry I3.18 (n=11) 2.77 (n=24) Computer Science I3.45 (n=10) 3.03 (n=32)

41. www.EngageEngineering.org 41 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Studies with K-12 Students In 2006: Middle School students completed modules as part of their Integrated Technology course High School students completed modules as part of their Geometry course In 2007: Middle School students completed modules plus extra problems on isometrics, orthographic projection, and rotations High School students completed only the modules on isometrics, orthographic project, and rotations, including extra problems

42. www.EngageEngineering.org 42 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Instrument for Assessing Spatial Skills Instrument devised from four separate tests 10 Problems selected of varying difficulty Except for MCT, problems were the easiest 10 items

43. www.EngageEngineering.org 43 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Tests to Assess Spatial Skills DAT:SR MCT Lappan PSVT:R

44. www.EngageEngineering.org 44 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Test Results from Middle School Students GroupnPre-TestPost-TestGain Comparison14142.0%46.8%4.8% 2006 Treatment8042.0%54.3%12.3% 2007 Treatment5254.0%71.1%17.1% 2007 Gain significantly higher than 2006 Gain

45. www.EngageEngineering.org 45 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Test Results from High School Students GroupnPre-TestPost-TestGain Comparison7561.7%64.2%2.5% 2006 Treatment8052.5%70.4%17.9% 2007 Treatment5252.3%70.9%18.6% 2007 Gain not significantly higher than 2006 Gain

46. www.EngageEngineering.org 46 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Results Gain scores for treatment groups significantly higher than those for comparison groups Scores for high school students significantly higher than those for middle school students Working with four modules vs. nine modules did not impact gains for high school students More time on task had significant positive impact at middle school level Post-test scores similar to post-test scores for high school students

47. www.EngageEngineering.org 47 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Longitudinal results from work with K-12 students At the middle school level, spatial skills training had a positive impact on the number of M/S courses enrolled in during high school Difference significant at 90.5% confidence level No impact on grades received At the high school level, spatial skills training had a positive impact on grades received in follow-on math and science courses

48. www.EngageEngineering.org 48 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Long-term trends Recently examined data over a fourteen year period

49. www.EngageEngineering.org 49 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Encouraging Results It appears that the percent of females failing the PSVT:R is declining Likely due to increases in computer gaming

50. www.EngageEngineering.org 50 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Conclusions Engineering has many “Gateway” courses Typically thought of as Calculus, Physics, and Chemistry For women, and for some men, Engineering Graphics may be another Gateway course By developing and implementing a course to improve spatial skills we have positively impacted the performance and retention of engineering students, particularly women

51. www.EngageEngineering.org 51 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Acknowledgement This work has been supported by the National Science Foundation through several grants. Current support is from HRD-0429020

52. www.EngageEngineering.org 52 Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Questions?