PROCEEDINGS OF THE 20TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
2017
San Diego, California
Spatial training and calculus ability: Investigating impacts on student performance and cognitive learningstyle
Page: 1182
Despite concerted efforts on the part of educational policy makers, women are stillunderrepresented in the STEM fields. Researchers have shown that calculus plays a major rolein this gender disparity since it requires spatial skills to succeed: skills that women tend to lackcompared to men. However, previous studies have shown that spatial ability is malleable andspatial skills can be improved with training. This pilot study employed spatial training in a third-term calculus course and measured the effects of this training on students’ calculus ability,spatial rotation ability, and cognitive learning style. Associations between cognitive learningstyle and task performance were also measured. Preliminary results indicate that spatialtraining does not significantly impact student performance on a calculus skills assessment or atest of mental rotations, but effects on students’ cognitive learning style are present.Key words: