Engineers’ spatial orientation ability development at the European Space for Higher Education

Abstract

The aim of this research was to determine whether the new geographic information technologies, included as teaching objectives in the new European Space for Higher Education Engineering degrees, develop spatial abilities. Bearing this in mind, a first year seminar using the INSPIRE Geoportal (Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe) was designed, involving 46 engineering students from the University of La Laguna. The spatial orientation ability development was analysed through statistical inference methods, using the Perspective Taking/Spatial Orientation Test.

Keywords:

• European Space for Higher Education
• geographic information technologies
• spatial abilities
• spatial data infrastructure
• spatial orientation

Acknowledgements

The Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, State Secretariat for Research, belonging to the National Plan I+D+I through the research project ‘Enhancing Spatial REasoning and VIsual Cognition with advanced technological tools (ESREVIC)’, partially supported this work.