On the Use of PDF-3D to Overcome Spatial Visualization Difficulties Linked with Ternary Phase Diagrams

• Published in: Education sciences Vol. 9; no. 2; pp. 67 - 74
• Main Authors: Vergara, Diego, Rubio, Manuel Pablo, Lorenzo, Miguel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.06.2019
• Subjects: Alloys; Cognition & reasoning; Education; Educational Planning; Educational Technology; Engineering; Engineering Education; Laboratories; Learning; Learning Processes; Materials science; PDF-3D; Phase transitions; Software; Spatial Ability; spatial visualization; Student Attitudes; Students; Teaching; Teaching Methods; Technology Uses in Education; ternary phase diagrams; Virtual reality; Visual Aids; Visualization; Spain
• ISSN: 2227-7102; 2227-7102
• DOI: 10.3390/educsci9020067

Despite the interesting applications that the PDF-3D offers in teaching, especially for subjects related to spatial comprehension difficulties, such a didactic tool is not well known in the education sector. Thus, a proposal of using PDF-3D in engineering studies is presented in this paper, specifically, in the field of teaching ternary phase diagrams (TPDs). The didactic resource—easy to design and easy to use—allows students to overcome spatial visualization difficulties linked with TPDs. According to students’ opinions, the PDF-3D is an effective tool to use in any topic related to spatial difficulties and, in addition, is a friendly and easy-to-use tool. This fact and the simplicity of designing a PDF-3D make it a useful tool for educational aims.