Table of Contents
Why Some Students Have Trouble
with Maps and Spatial Representations
An On-line Tutorial for Geoscience Faculty
Unit 1: About Spatial Thinking
• What are Spatial Abilities and
How Do
They Pertain to Geoscience Tasks?
• How Cognitive Scientists Study Spatial Thinking
and
How their Studies Relate to Geoscience Tasks
• Recognizing Patterns and Shapes
• Mentally Manipulate a Surface or Volume
and
Envision the Results
• Envision Structure in Three Dimensions
from
Information Given in Two Dimensions
• Understanding the Relationship between Objects
and
the Vertical/Horizontal Frame of Reference
• Envisioning a 3-D Object or Volume
from
Different Viewpoints
• Recalling Location and Appearance
of Previously Observed Objects
Unit 1: About Spatial Thinking, Part 2
• Key Findings of Research on Spatial Thinking
That May Pertain to Geoscience Teaching and Learning
• Individual Differences in Spatial Ability
• Male-Female Difference in Spatial Ability–a
• Male-Female Difference in Spatial Ability–b
• Effectiveness of Training on Performance of Spatial Tasks
• Relationship between Spatial Ability
and Instructional Strategy
Unit 2: Using Maps in the Field
• Understanding Where You are Relative to a Map–a
• Understanding Where You are Relative to a Map–b
• Representational Correspondence between Map
and Represented Space
• Configurational Correspondence between Map
and Represented Space
• Directional Correspondence between Map
and Represented Space
Unit 3: Topographic Maps
• How Do People Use and Interpret Topographic Maps?
• How Do Cognitive Scientists Study People's Understanding
• Answer Questions about the Terrain by Referring to the Map
• Compare the Map with Another Representation–a
• Compare the Map with Another Representation–b
• Compare the Map with the Represented Terrain
Unit 3: Topographic Maps, Part 2
• Findings and Implications of Cognitive Studies
of Topographic Map Use
• Strategies Used by Successful, Experienced Map Readers
• Selective Encoding: Experts Extract Information as Necessary
Unit 4: 3-D Phenomena
• How Do People Comprehend 3-D Phenomena
• The Difficulty of Visualizing 3-D Structures
• Types of Errors in Visualizing 3-D Structures
• Different Approaches to Training on 3-D Task
• Computer-based Training on 3-D Geological Task