Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://repository.isls.org//handle/1/6719
Title: I Solved it! Using the Rubik’s Cube to Support Mental Rotation in a Middle School Science Classroom
Authors: Valerie, Jesslyn
Aylward, Gary
Varma, Keisha
Keywords: Learning and Identity
Issue Date: Jun-2020
Publisher: International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS)
Citation: Valerie, J., Aylward, G., & Varma, K. (2020). I Solved it! Using the Rubik’s Cube to Support Mental Rotation in a Middle School Science Classroom. In Gresalfi, M. and Horn, I. S. (Eds.), The Interdisciplinarity of the Learning Sciences, 14th International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS) 2020, Volume 2 (pp. 653-656). Nashville, Tennessee: International Society of the Learning Sciences.
Abstract: Increasing demand for educational methods that can improve spatial skills is driven by research showing that it can help students to succeed in STEM fields. This short paper describes a study that looks at the effectiveness of learning to solve the Rubik’s Cube to improve middle school students’ spatial skills, specifically mental rotation. We also examine the overall dynamic of the classroom and the ways that students were interacting with the cubes through observational notes taken during each session. Middle school students participated in four sessions of Rubik’s Cube training designed by the lead researcher and a partner middle school teacher. Results indicate that students improved in their ability to execute two and three-dimensional mental rotation tests. Our findings provide promising evidence that instruction with the Rubik’s Cube can improve mental rotation performance of middle school students.
URI: https://doi.dx.org/10.22318/icls2020.653
https://repository.isls.org//handle/1/6719
Appears in Collections:ICLS 2020

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