2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Spatial ability is broadly defined as an understanding of spatial relations and an ability to mentally transform visual information. Much work has been done to show the correlation between students’ spatial ability and their academic performance in STEM fields. Further work has also linked spatial ability to professional achievements in STEM areas and shown that spatial ability can be taught and retained through targeted interventions.

One area of engineering education where spatial content is particularly prevalent is engineering mechanics. This work specifically examines performance in a statics course taught primarily to sophomore undergraduate students. Examples of spatial content students are required to understand to perform well in a statics course include three-dimensional vectors, free body diagrams, equivalent force systems, and machines.

This paper explores the relationship between students’ performance on several spatial ability assessments and their scores on exams through multiple regression models. Additionally, this research examines the relationship between spatial ability and concept focused questions from the exams. Spatial ability assessments utilized in this work include the Mental Cutting Test (MCT) and the Purdue Spatial Visualization Test: Rotations (PSVT:R) which measure spatial ability constructs of mental rotation, proportional reasoning, and cross-sectional visualization. Results of the study will indicate specific topics within a statics course that require significant spatial ability to succeed. This understanding will allow engineering educators to prepare spatial interventions before students are exposed to difficult spatial problems and provide meaningful feedback on tasks that involve spatial skills.