Supporting geoscientific thinking: the effectiveness of spatial thinking icons in a mineralogy course

This study investigates the use of spatial thinking icons, embedded in lecture slides, as a low-effort intervention to enhance students’ spatial thinking in an undergraduate Mineralogy course. Spatial thinking is a critical skill in geoscience, yet students often struggle with tasks such as visualizing how a unit cell repeats via symmetry operations or understanding how the cut orientation of a thin section affects its optical properties. To address this challenge, spatial thinking icons were introduced to signal when specific spatial thinking skills were being relied upon. Using a qualitative method (i.e. interviews), we examined how the icons influenced students’ awareness of spatial thinking and their engagement with the material. Results showed that the icons helped students recognize spatial thinking as a key aspect of the course, but their effectiveness varied based on individual learning characteristics. While most students reported increased confidence in their own spatial thinking skills, the icons were generally seen as helpful but not sufficient to drive substantial cognitive engagement. Suggestions from students for improving the intervention included more explicit explanations of the spatial skills, increased scaffolding, and the incorporation of more hands-on activities. We conclude that, with modifications to enhance cognitive engagement and support, the spatial thinking icons we designed could become a valuable, low-effort tool for fostering spatial thinking development in undergraduate geology education.