Page 150 - A Mind For Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science

SPATIAL ABILITIES CAN BE LEARNED—VISIONARY ENGINEERING PROFESSOR
SHERYL SORBY

Sheryl Sorby is an award-winning engineer whose research
interests include designing 3-D computer graphics for visualizing
complex behaviors. Here she tells her story. 8

“Many people erroneously believe that spatial intelligence is a fixed
quantity—you either have it or you don’t. I am here to say
emphatically that this is not the case. In fact, I am living proof that
spatial abilities can be learned. I almost left my chosen profession
of engineering due to poorly developed spatial skills, but I worked
at it, developed the skills, and successfully completed my degree.
Because I struggled with spatial skills as a student, I dedicated my
career to helping students develop theirs. Virtually all of the
students I worked with were able to improve through practice.
“Human intelligence takes many forms, ranging from musical to
verbal to mathematical and beyond. An important form is spatial
thinking. People with high spatial intelligence can imagine what
objects will look like from a different vantage point, or after they
have been rotated or sliced in two. In some cases, spatial intelligence might be the ability to figure
out the path you would take to get from one place to another, armed only with a map.
“The ability to think in spatial terms has been shown to be important for success in careers such
as engineering, architecture, computer science, and many others. Think about the job of air traffic
controllers who must imagine the flight paths of several aircraft at a given time, ensuring their
paths don’t cross. Imagine also the spatial skills required by an auto mechanic to fit parts back
into an engine. In recent studies, spatial intelligence has been linked to creativity and innovation.
In other words, the better you are at spatial thinking, the more creative and innovative you will be!
“We have found the reason some students have weak spatial skills is that they likely haven’t
had many childhood experiences to help develop these skills. Children who spent a good deal of
time taking things apart and building them again typically have good spatial ability. Some children
who played certain types of sports have good spatial ability. Think of basketball. Players have to
imagine the arc necessary for the ball to go into the basket from any place on the court.
“However, even if someone didn’t do these kinds of things as a child, it’s not too late. Spatial
skills can be developed well into adulthood—it just takes practice and patience.
“What can you do? Try accurately sketching an object, and then try sketching it from a different
viewpoint. Play 3-D computer games. Put together 3-D puzzles (you may have to start with 2-D
puzzles first!). Put away your GPS and try to navigate with a map instead. Above all else, don’t
give up—instead, just keep working on it!”