South Asian postgraduate students performing mental rotation tasks data collected from multiple sources
In a groundbreaking study, researchers have delved into the intricacies of mental rotation tasks and their connection to spatial thinking and STEM learning. The comprehensive research, which involved 38 participants, was conducted under three conditions: no time restriction and no feedback, no time restriction and with feedback, and with time restriction and no feedback.
The study, which used a multi-modal dataset, collected various data points including electroencephalography (EEG) data, task performance logs, self-reports from participants, gaze data, screen recordings, facial expressions, and manual emotion logging. One of the key findings of the study is the impact of time pressure on mental rotation tasks.
Researchers discovered that participants under time constraints showed altered attention patterns towards feedback, reflecting increased cognitive and emotional load during task performance. This suggests that time pressure can significantly affect cognitive processing, especially when combined with social evaluative feedback.
Another significant finding is the influence of feedback on attention during mental rotation tasks. The nature of feedback, whether positive or negative, significantly affected how individuals allocated attention during task performance. For instance, in groups sensitive to social rejection, longer fixation durations on feedback words (both positive and negative) were observed, indicating heightened attention to social evaluative cues during mental rotation tasks under time pressure.
The study also highlighted the importance of structured practice and targeted feedback for skill acquisition in STEM learning domains. Learning rates in academic tasks, including those involving spatial thinking, were found to be strongly influenced by the number of practice opportunities on specific knowledge components, rather than the calendar time elapsed.
Moreover, the study found that the duration of mental practice matters but has limits. Studies on mental rehearsal, a related cognitive process to mental rotation, indicate that while practice sessions of certain lengths improve outcomes, extended sessions can cause mental fatigue, potentially reducing performance benefits.
The dataset, which includes galvanic skin response measurements during mental rotation tasks, offers potential insights for the learning analytics community on how feedback affects learning and engagement during mental rotation tasks. It may also provide insights for the spatial thinking community on affective response during mental rotation tasks.
The study, which employs sensor-based approaches to study cognition and affect, is set to aid researchers in the spatial thinking community to investigate strategy selection, flexibility, affective response, and group differences in mental rotation tasks. With this wealth of data, researchers can delve deeper into the complexities of mental rotation tasks and their role in spatial thinking and STEM learning.
In conclusion, the study underscores the role of time restrictions and feedback in mental rotation tasks and their impact on cognitive and emotional demands. The findings stress the importance of structured and targeted practice, with feedback being integral to sustained skill acquisition rather than merely the passage of time or unsystematic practice. The multi-modal dataset collected in this study promises to provide valuable insights for the learning analytics and spatial thinking communities.
References: [1] Study on Cognitive and Emotional Load during Mental Rotation Tasks under Time Pressure and Feedback [2] The Role of Practice Opportunities in Learning Spatial and STEM-Related Skills [4] Impact of Mental Practice Duration on Outcomes in Mental Rotation Tasks
- The study reveals that time pressure and feedback significantly impact mental rotation tasks, altering attention patterns and cognitive processing, particularly in STEM learning domains.
- The research findings suggest that feedback plays a crucial role in how individuals allocate attention during mental rotation tasks, influencing learning rates and affecting spatial thinking skills.
- The collected multimodal dataset offers potential insights for the educational and spatial thinking communities, as it delves into the complexities of mental rotation tasks, revealing the importance of structured practice, feedback, and mental practice duration in learning and engagement.
