New Tools for Spatial Intelligence Education: the X-Colony Knowledge Discovery Kit

• Author: Sorin Alexe, Gabriela Alexe, Consuela Voica, Cristian Voica
• Pages: 69-75

Educating Integral Innovators in a European Academic Network

69

Educating Integral Innovators in a European Academic

Network

New Tools for Spatial Intelligence Education:

the X-Colony Knowledge Discovery Kit

Sorin Alexe1, Gabriela Alexe2, Consuela Voica3, Cristian Voica4

Abstract. This study introduces a new framework for developing spatial education programs based on a

geometric language and manipulation of ensembles of polyhedra, called X-Colony Knowledge Discovery Kit

(KDK). The KDK main goals are to develop spatial intelligence, creativity, strategic planning, forecasting

skills, abstract reasoning, self-confidence, and social skills. Landmark studies document that spatial education

plays a central role in driving performance in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)

occupations, yet spatial education is under-studied and the infrastructure for research on spatial learning is at

the beginning. KDK introduces a novel geometric language that allows visual communication and develops

spatial abilities by engaging students to perform creative paper folding and various mental spatial

transformations. KDK is organized in program sessions consisting of cooperative open -end paper

construction activities that engage students to build modular constructions of gradual complexity and to

explore various strategies for combining the constructs into novel configurations. KDK supports the Core

Math Standard and Science curricula and provides stud ents the opportunity to discover connections between

mathematics, science and various other disciplines. A pilot case-control study conducted with fifth grade

students indicates an average increase of 17% in geometric reasoning after 8 hours of KDK activities.

Keywords: Spatial Intelligence; Creativity; Geometric Language; Knowledge Discovery Kit KDK; Modular

Paper Constructions

JEL Classification: I250

1. Introduction

Landmark research studies document that spatial education at early age plays a central role in

achieving performance in school and in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)

occupations in the information age (Frick, et al., 2014; Jirout, et al., 2015; Newcombe, 2010; Kell, et

1 Director Research and Educational Programs, De Novo Puzzles, USA, Address: Princeton Jct, NJ, USA, Corresponding

author: sorin@x-colony.com.

2 Research Fellow/Adjunct Associate Professor in Bioinformatics, Harvard Medical School and Boston Univ., Boston, MA,

USA, Address: 25 Shattuck St, Boston, MA 02115, USA, Tel.: +1 617-495-1000, E-mail: gabriela_alexe@dfci.harvard.edu.

3 Teacher, Herastrau Middle School, Bucharest, Romania, E-mail: consuelavoica@yahoo.com.

4 Associate Professor, University of Bucharest, Romania, Address: 14 Academiei Str. , 010014 Bucharest, Romania, Tel.:

+4021 315 9249, E-mail: voica@fmi.unibuc.ro.