Why are spatial skills important?
Spatial Problem-solving, Assessment, and Curriculum for Everyone (SPACE) Program
Spatial thinking skills are critical to many technical and non-technical careers, not to mention many everyday tasks such as assembling furniture or interpreting a stock report graph. In technical careers, spatial literacy is thought to be a gatekeeper, discouraging students who do not have these skills from pursuing careers that require such spatially-intensive courses as organic chemistry or engineering drafting.
To address the everyday and specialized need for spatial skills in our society, ththe goal of this project is to create a spatial thinking research center at Auburn University that will focus on incorporating spatial literacy into the K-12 curriculum.
Project objective: Broaden our knowledge of how spatial reasoning skills align with and enrich K-12 education while also promoting among teachers the motivation to include spatial skills training throughout the curriculum (including science, mathematics, social studies).
Grant goals:
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Develop a program for pre-service teachers that introduces the domain of spatial reasoning, encourages future teachers to find connections to the K-12 curriculum, and develops their spatial skills and ability to teach spatial reasoning.
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Provide 6th to 8th grade students curricula that develop their spatial reasoning skills related to math, science, and social studies content.
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Build a professional learning community between AU and local school districts to provide in-service teachers and administrators with learning opportunities related to why spatial reasoning skills are important and how they can be developed during the school year through add-on instructional activities aligned with (and promoting) state standards.
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Conduct basic research related to measuring spatial skills in middle school students and finding connections between spatial reasoning and problem-solving in science, math, and other content domains.
This project is funded by an Intramural Grant Program award at Auburn University to Dr. Joni Lakin and Dr. Chris Schittka.
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