An Exploratory Study of Spatial Ability and Student Achievement in Sonography

Abstract

(Moses Hdeib, MD, RDCS, RVT, RDMS) School of Health ProfessionsPurpose: Spatial ability refers to an individual's capacity to visualize and mentally manipulate three dimensional objects. Since sonographers manually manipulate 2-D and 3-D ultrasound images to generate multi-viewed logical, sequential renderings of an anatomical structure, it can be assumed that spatial ability is central to the perception and interpretation of these medical images. However, little is known about the relation between spatial ability and sonographers' performance. This study explores this possible relationship. Methods:Seventeen first-year sonography students were administered a spatial abilities test prior to their initial scanning lab coursework. The students' spatial ability scores were compared to their scanning competency performance scores after the first thirty hours of lab instruction and after two semesters of lab instruction. Results:No significant relationship between the students' spatial ability scores and their scanning performance scores was found for the first thirty hours of lab instruction. However, a very strong relationship was found after two semesters of lab instruction (See figure 1). Conclusion:This study suggests that the use of spatial ability tests for admission to ultrasound programs may improve student selection as well as assist programs in adjusting instruction and curriculum for students who demonstrate low spatial ability.

Is there a relationship between ultrasound scanning ability (sonography) and visuospatial perception or psychomotor ability?

“…Results suggested the tests employed did not predict acquisition of sonography skills. The tests may not be appropriate for measurement of spatial aptitudes for sonography, which contradicts previous authors, 17 but the finding may have been influenced by the small sample size. This may also be true for the PMS tests.…”

“…Regarding visual skills, it is more difficult to determine which ones are necessary for creating, understanding and interpreting sonograms. Both Berman 18 and Clem et al 17,19 attempted to define and test them previously using visualisation.…”

Role of Spatial Ability as a Probable Ability Determinant in Skill Acquisition for Sonographic Scanning

“…Eleven abdominal students from the exploratory study 14 were included in this expanded study, for a total number of 79 who contributed data that included the pre instructional spatial test scores, the first 30‐hour Sonography Clinical Assessment Notebook (SCAN) scores, and the 2‐semester averaged SCAN sores. However, 6 students dropped out of their sonography programs before the study ended, 5 from the Midwestern community college and 1 from the Atlantic coast community college, for a total number of 73.…”

Spatial abilities of medical graduates and choice of residency programs

“…Spatial abilities have been also related to the performance in technical skills in microscopic pathology (Helle et al, 2010), interpreting 3D information in dental radiographs (Nilsson et al, 2007), clinical ultrasonography (Clem et al, 2010(Clem et al, , 2013, clinical surgery (Schueneman et al, 1984;Gibbons et al, 1986), dental practical restorative laboratory classes , and in the simulation laboratory performing gastroscopy Schlickum et al, 2011), colonoscopy (Westman et al, 2006;Luursema et al, 2010), gastrointestinal flexible endoscopy , ureteroscopy (Schlickum et al, 2011), endoscopic sinus surgery (Arora et al, 2005), sutures of fresh porcine jejunum (Steele et al, 1992), anastomosis of blood vessels by microsurgery in rats (Murdoch et al, 1994), Z-plasties on pig thighs (Wanzel et al, 2002), rigid fixation of a synthetic mandible (Wanzel et al, 2003), surgical knot tying (Brandt and Davies, 2006), and minimally invasive surgery (Risucci et al, 2000(Risucci et al, , 2001Keehner et al, 2004Keehner et al, , 2006Hedman et al, 2006Hedman et al, , 2007Hassan et al, 2007;Rosenthal et al, 2010;Ahlborg et al, 2011Ahlborg et al, , 2012Jungmann et al, 2011;Schlickum et al, 2011;Nugent et al, 2012).…”