Three-dimensioinal spatial skill training in a simulated space station: random vs. blocked designs

Astronauts floating inside a spacecraft must be able to
recall the direction to surrounding visual landmarks, regardless of their
viewing perspective. If 3D orientation skills are taught preflight, should
perspective sequences be blocked or randomized? Can standard spatial
skill tests predict performance? Methods: Undergraduates (40 men and
40 women; ages 19–24) learned 3D spatial relationships among landmark
pictures in a cubic chamber simulating a space station node.
Subjects learned to predict picture directions when told one picture’s
direction (the one behind them) and the subject’s simulated roll orientation,
which was changed between trials by rotating pictures. The
dependent variable was the proportion of correct predictions. A between
group (n 40 per group) independent variable was training type
(random vs. blocked sequencing of perspectives). Experiment phase
(familiarization, training, transfer, and 2 retention phases) was a within
group variable. Subjects also took three standard spatial skill tests: Card
Rotation, Cube Comparison, and Group Imbedded Figures. Results: As
hypothesized, during training, performance for the random group (0.56)
was worse than the blocked group (0.83); during transfer, the random
group (0.75) was better than the blocked group (0.56); during retention-
1, the random group (0.70) was better than the blocked group
(0.55); and during retention-2, the random group (0.76) was better than
the blocked group (0.65). Spatial skill tests correlated differently across
the two groups, indicating that random sequencing elicits different skills