Share Paper: Using Digital Games to Grow Spatial Skills in Middle Grade Learners

  1. Nick Lux, Montana State University, United States
  2. Shannon Willoughby, Montana State University, United States
  3. Bryce Hughes, Montana State University, United States
  4. Brock LaMeres, Montana State University, United States
  5. Elaine Westbrook, Montana State University, United States
  6. Barrett Frank, Montana State University, United States
Tuesday, March 19 4:15-4:45 PM Sunset 3

Abstract: The ability to make spatial judgments and visualize has been shown to be a strong indicator of students’ future achievement in STEM-related courses. Spatial intelligence has also been shown to be one of the only areas in which females perform worse than males, with noticeable differences emerging in the middle school years. However, research has also shown that very short duration training exercises can close the spatial reasoning gender gap. Therefore, the goal of this investigation was to assess the design a functional prototype of a Minecraft-based spatial skills intervention for middle grade (4th – 7th grade) students. Participants (n ...