TurtleGO: Application with Cubes for Children's Spatial Ability Based on AR Technology

In this paper, we introduce a new application called TurtleGO that uses augmented reality (AR) technology, with which K-2 children can experience a geometric sense of the egocentric perspective. This application was developed with the concept of Logo-MicroWorlds, which allows children to examine and simulate their geometric ideas in a virtual world with a turtle agent. TurtleGO provides children with real-time feedback in a monitor representing the augmented turtle image on blocks based on AR technology while children are playing with actual blocks. Our application is flexible and inexpensive as it makes possible the use of various sized cubes already in possession. All the children between grades 2 through 5 improved in their ability to distinguish pair of stimuli as identical or mirror images when they used TurtleGO. However, we found that our application provides an effective and intuitive AR learning environment to lower grade elementary students, improving their spatial transformation skills since upper graders could solve the tasks easily without it.N

How to Improve Spatial and Numerical Cognition with a Game-Based and Technology-Enhanced Learning Approach

In this paper, the connection between spatial and numerical cognition is highlighted and some applications to improve them are discussed. Indeed, in children, it is possible to promote numerical cognition, which is the base of mathematical cognition and academic achievement in later years, by strengthening their natural endowment to deal both with numerical stimuli and spatial stimuli. Together with a brief review about spatial and numerical cognition, two tools that are meant to improve them with a Game-based and Technology enhanced approach are reported

Kindergartners’ performance in two types of imaginary perspective-taking

This study aimed at gaining further understanding of kindergartners’ performance in imaginary perspective-taking (IPT) by examining whether they can imagine what is visible from a particular point of view (IPT type 1: visibility) and how an object or scene will look from a particular point of view (IPT type 2: appearance). The sample consisted of 4- and 5-year-old kindergartners in the Netherlands (N = 334) and in Cyprus (N = 304). IPT abilities were assessed by a paper-and-pencil test of various perspective-taking pictorial tasks. The study showed that the Dutch children performed generally better than those in Cyprus. In both countries the IPT type 1 items were on average significantly easier than the IPT type 2 items. This was confirmed by a statistical implicative analysis by which the relationships between the individual items of both IPT types were investigated and which revealed that some items are less or more difficult than other items of a particular type. Regarding the influence of children’s characteristics, in both countries it was found that mathematics ability was significantly related to IPT performance, whereas this was not the case for gender. Contrary to Cyprus, in the Netherlands the children in the second year of kindergarten had a significantly higher IPT performance than the children who were in their first year