Chais2025_Heb_and_Eng-web

ע 51 רונן פורת, הדס לוי גמליאל ספר הכנס העשרים לחקר חדשנות וטכנולוגיות למידה ע"ש צ'ייס: האדם הלומד בעידן הדיגיטלי ד' אולניק - שמש, א' בלאו, נ' גרי, א' כספי, י' סידי, י' עשת - אלקלעי, י' קלמן, א' רבין )עורכים(, רעננה: האוניברסיטה הפתוחה פיתוח ואימון ו יכול ת ו ת מרחבי בקרב סטודנטים להנדסה ואדריכלות באמצעות שילוב אסטרטגיות הוראה והשפעתן על ה ה הישגים אקדמיים הדס לוי גמליאל שנקר – הנדסה. עיצוב. אמנות. hadaslg@shenkar.ac.il ר ונן פורת שנקר – הנדסה. עיצוב. אמנות. ronenp@shenkar.ac.il Development and Training of Spatial Abilities among Engineering and Architecture Students through Integrated Teaching Strategies and Their Impact on Academic Achievements Ronen Porat Shenkar – Engineering. Design. Art. ronenp@shenkar.ac.il Hadas Levi Gamliel Shenkar – Engineering. Design. Art. hadaslg@shenkar.ac.il Abstract Spatial ability (SA) refers to the ability to create, maintain, and manipulate abstract visual representations mentally. Research conducted in recent decades has found that this ability is essential for the development of mathematical skills in children. Later studies examining spatial ability in adults revealed that it serves as a predictor of success in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in academic studies. Recently, attention has also been directed to the field of architecture, where spatial skills are critical, but have not been studied in terms of their impact on academic achievements. The current research examines the effectiveness of a new training program aimed at improving the spatial abilities of first-year engineering and architecture students. The program integrated traditional teaching methods with computer-based strategies, frontal learning, hands-on model building, and augmented reality (AR) tools, all within a focused intervention program of approximately 20 hours. The research sought to determine whether the training program would be effective in enhancing the SA abilities of the students, and whether this improvement would manifest equally across variables such as gender, field of study, and previous mathematical level. The study also examined the relationship between these improvements and academic success in several foundational courses during the first year. The results showed a significant improvement in spatial abilities among students who participated in the program compared to the control group. These findings are applicable to both engineering and architecture students and were effective regardless of the participants' gender or prior mathematical level. This significant improvement in spatial abilities impacted the academic achievement levels at the end of the first year for the architecture students. Keywords: spatial ability, spatial perception, mental rotation, spatial visualization, spatial relations, spatial training, engineering education, architecture, higher education, STEM. תקציר יכולת מרחבית ) Spatial Ability, SA ( מתייחסת ליכולת ליצור, לשמר ולתפעל ייצוגים חזותיים מופשטים באופן מנטלי . מחקרים שבוצעו בעשורים האחרונים מצאו כי יכולת זו חיונית להתפתחות הכישורים המתמטיים בקרב ילדים. מחקרים מאוחרים יותר שעסקו ביכולת מרחבית אצל מבוגרים גילו שהיא מהווה גורם מנבא להצלחה בתחומי המדעים, הטכנולוגיה,