Sketching Instruction just got easier

Strange, but in some ways, exciting times! With the move to online/hybrid/reduced face time teaching and learning, we have been busy working to try to make your spatial skills instruction easier than ever.

We have developed a new “sketching only” workbook.

Since the sketching portion of the course is so important for developing spatial skills, we don’t want your students to miss out on this valuable skill-building activity just because they are learning from home. Students can use a free tool like Adobe Scan to capture their pencil and paper homework sketches in a pdf and submit them to their instructor for grading.

LMS Quizzes for multiple choice spatial problems

We are creating SCORM-compliant files for the multiple-choice problems in the original workbook that can be loaded to your LMS as quizzes.  The quiz files will be ready by the end of July.

Next Steps

The Sketching workbook (ISBN 978-0-9966555-4-5) can be purchased by students here and by bookstores here.

If you decide that you want to use the sketching-only workbook in your classes this fall, just let us know and we will work with you to get you access to the online resources.

Of course, the original workbook is still available, if you prefer.

About the New Resources

New Workbook: Sketching for Developing Spatial Thinking (ISBN is 978-0-9966555-4-5)

Features of the new workbook:

  • Sketching problems have been added for the Surfaces and Solids of Revolution and the Cutting Planes and Cross Sections modules. There are other problems included in the workbook that did not lend themselves to LMS quizzing, meaning that each module now has problems included in the sketching-only workbook.
  • For some of the more difficult concepts in the sketching workbook, a sheet with practice problems is included along with solutions to the practice problems and common mistakes that students make for that type of problem.
  • The length of the workbook is now a fraction of the original workbook meaning that it is lighter weight for students to carry around in their backpacks.

LMS Quizzes for multiple choice spatial problems

By moving the multiple choice workbook problems to a format for inclusion in your LMS, you can avoid exercises on pages that you find problematic and instead assign those you think are most useful to your needs. The LMS quizzes will also be automatically graded and can be included in your grade book for the course. Plus, students will know immediately how they are doing in understanding the material from the given module before they move on to their sketching assignment.

Online Resources