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SEAGA 2012
Robert Bednarz
Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas, USA
Jongwon Lee
Ewha Womans University
Seoul, South Korea
Geography Education Research ClusterTexas A&M University
Outline
What is spatial thinking?
Importance of Spatial Thinking
Spatial Thinking vs Spatial
Ability
Assessing Spatial Thinking
(STAT)
Use STAT and Contribute to the
Data Base
Geography Education Research ClusterTexas A&M University
Spatial Thinking
Knowledge, skills, and habits of
mind
To use
Concepts of space
Tools of representation
Processes of reasoning
To structure problems,
find answers, and
express solutions to
these problems.
Outline
What is spatial thinking?
Importance of Spatial Thinking
Spatial Thinking vs Spatial
Ability
Assessing Spatial Thinking
(STAT)
Use STAT and Contribute to the
Data Base
Geography Education Research ClusterTexas A&M University
Importance of Spatial
Thinking
Geography
One of two perspectives
mentioned by both the National
Geography Standards: Geography
for life
One of two enduring themes of
academic geography identified by
Turner in Contested identities:
human-environment geography
and disciplinary implications in a
Geography
Education Research
ClusterTexas A&M University
restructuring
academy
Importance of Spatial
Thinking
Geo-spatial technology (GST)
Importance of representations
noted in Learning to Think
Spatially
Recognition of the role GIS can
play as a support system for
spatial thinking
Necessity for spatial thinking to
exploit the advantages of GST
Growing opportunities in the
Geography Education Research ClusterTexas A&M University
Importance of Spatial
Thinking
Science and other disciplines
Crick and Watsons model of the
structure of DNA as a double-helix
Inferring subsurface structures
from surficial features and
interpreting seismic diagrams by
geoscientists
Using graphical analysis to handle
the ever-growing volume of data
Geography Education Research ClusterTexas A&M University
Outline
What is spatial thinking?
Importance of Spatial Thinking
Spatial Thinking vs Spatial
Ability
Assessing Spatial Thinking
(STAT)
Use STAT and Contribute to the
Data Base
Geography Education Research ClusterTexas A&M University
Perspective
Table-top scale
Timed tests
Spatial Ability
Little correlation between
visualization and rotation and
geography-relevant tasks
Navigation, performance in
geography, GIS or cartography
Ability Augmented
Spatial relations proposed
Patterns, correlation, way
finding, overlaying, distributions,
sketch mapping
Definition remains
controversial
Spatial Thinking
An amalgam
Concepts (knowledge)
Tools (spatial representations)
Reasoning (ways of thinking)
Outline
What is spatial thinking?
Importance of Spatial Thinking
Spatial Thinking vs Spatial
Ability
Assessing Spatial Thinking
(STAT)
Use STAT and Contribute to the
Data Base
Geography Education Research ClusterTexas A&M University
STAT
Two equivalent forms
Sixteen multiple-choice questions
Both hard-copy and digital versions
Components of Spatial
Thinking
Components of Spatial
Thinking
Students at all
levels found the same
questions easy or challenging
Components of Spatial
Thinking
Factor Analysis
Outline
What is spatial thinking?
Importance of Spatial Thinking
Spatial Thinking vs Spatial
Ability
Assessing Spatial Thinking
(STAT)
Use STAT and Contribute to the
Data Base
Geography Education Research ClusterTexas A&M University
Internationally administered
Great Britain, South Africa, South
Korea, Turkey, Germany