The Effects of 3-Dimensional CADD Modeling on the Development of the Spatial Ability of Technology Education Students

Spatial abilities are fundamental to human functioning in the physical world. Spatial reasoning allows people to use concepts of shape, features, and relationships in both concrete and abstract ways, to make and use things in the world, to navigate, and to communicate (Cohen, Hegarty, Keehner & Montello, 2003; Newcombe & Huttenlocher, 2000; Turos & Ervin, 2000). Visualizing intangible boundaries such as state and national borders helps organzie, orient, and compartmentalize knowledge of the world. In a similar way, this ability is used to envision new things, and establish relationships of concepts in the mind (Jones & Bills, 1998). One source estimates that 80% of jobs primarily depend on spatial ability, not on verbal ability (Bannatyne, 2003). Surgeons, pilots, architects, engineers, mechanics, builders, farmers, trades people, and computer programmers all rely on spatial intelligence (Bannatyne, 2003).