Abstract
Increasing demand for educational methods that can improve spatial skills is driven by research showing that it can help students to succeed in STEM fields. This short paper describes a study that looks at the effectiveness of learning to solve the Rubik’s Cube to improve middle school students’ spatial skills, specifically mental rotation. We also examine the overall dynamic of the classroom and the ways that students were interacting with the cubes through observational notes taken during each session. Middle school students participated in four sessions of Rubik’s Cube training designed by the lead researcher and a partner middle school teacher. Results indicate that students improved in their ability to execute two and three-dimensional mental rotation tests. Our findings provide promising evidence that instruction with the Rubik’s Cube can improve mental rotation performance of middle school students.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | 14th International Conference of the Learning Sciences |
| Subtitle of host publication | The Interdisciplinarity of the Learning Sciences, ICLS 2020 - Conference Proceedings |
| Editors | Melissa Gresalfi, Ilana Seidel Horn |
| Publisher | International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS) |
| Pages | 653-656 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781732467262 |
| State | Published - 2020 |
| Event | 14th International Conference of the Learning Sciences: The Interdisciplinarity of the Learning Sciences, ICLS 2020 - Nashville, United States Duration: Jun 19 2020 → Jun 23 2020 |
Publication series
| Name | Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Conference, CSCL |
|---|---|
| Volume | 2 |
| ISSN (Print) | 1573-4552 |
Conference
| Conference | 14th International Conference of the Learning Sciences: The Interdisciplinarity of the Learning Sciences, ICLS 2020 |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | United States |
| City | Nashville |
| Period | 6/19/20 → 6/23/20 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© ISLS.