The Impact of Spatial Ability Training and Its Transfer

This book is meant for instructors, educators, and instructional designers to learn the impact of spatial ability in learning domains that are visual and spatial in nature. The book first discusses the diverse, contentious definitions and the dimensions of spatial ability, namely spatial visualization and mental rotation. The educational benefits of the desktop virtual reality technology, particularly the interaction and animation features, are explained in the context of spatial ability training. The efficacious application of this technology is emphasized through a constructivist framework to guide the development of the spatial trainer. Differential impacts attributed to training conditions and gender, and training transfer are dealt thoroughly in light of the cognitive theory, allowing readers to fully understand the spatial training effects. This book also provides useful guidelines, which are derived from empirical evidence, to help designers and instructors in designing interactive learning materials.