The Relationship Between Spatial Skills and Computing Science

Friday, November 20, 2020 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM

This is an online event. A Zoom link will be sent to you after you RSVP.

Speaker: 

Mr. Jack Parkinson - Centre for Computing Science Education, School of Computing Science, University of Glasgow

Abstract: 

Spatial skills are a broad, often-misunderstood set of skills referring to the ability to parse representations of space, formulate them into internal, mental representations and typically perform some manipulation or operation on them. These skills have been associated with success in STEM domains for many years; Computing Science is no exception. The body of work in Computing Science looking closely at spatial skills is growing, but we still have quite a limited understanding of this relationship. This talk will briefly cover the nature of spatial skills, discuss the work which connects spatial skills with Computing Science and explore the potential impact of ongoing research for Computing students and possibly beyond.

Jack Parkinson is a second year PhD student at the University of Glasgow, working with the Centre for Computing Science Education at the university's School of Computer Science. His research aims to tease apart the connection between spatial skills and computer science. He also spends much of his time involved in teaching CS1 and CS0 students in small group settings across a range of subjects, and is involved in a School-level working group towards developing and refining the online learning experience for Computing Science students.

About the Series: 

The Discipline-Based Education Research (DBER) Speaker Series highlights significant research findings from our community and hosts prominent guest speakers engaged in STEM education research.

Talks generally take place on the third Friday of each month from 11:00 AM -12:00 PM.