Previous research has shown that spatial skills are an important indicator of success for engineering students. We also know that effective communication is one of the most desired professional skill in engineering graduates. This presentation will describe a study performed at the intersection of both skills: what happens when we communicate spatial information? We analyzed communication behaviors between two graduate students working to translate a virtual 3D model of a block structure into a physical 3D replica. In this assembly task, one person generated instructions on how to assemble the block model while the second translated the instructions into actions to assemble the physical model.  In the task, students could not look at each other and could only rely on verbal information. Each dyad was video recorded and the audio portion was transcribed for analysis in this study. The transcriptions were analyzed for communication patterns associated with activity planning, problem detection and problem solving strategies used by the participants. Results indicate that participants demonstrated difficulty in recognizing ambiguous information, which led to many misunderstandings and, consequently, mistakes during assembly. From the data, we suggest some successful and other unsuccessful approaches used by students to assemble the model and to correct mistakes or misunderstandings. Finally, this study indicate that students could benefit from training on how to recognize language ambiguity, as well as how to improve their task monitoring skills in order to recognize potential issues early in the process.

Bio Luciana Debs, is an Assistant Professor of Construction Management in the School Construction Management Technology, at Purdue University. She received her PhD in Technology from Purdue University in August of 2016. Her previous degrees include a MS in Engineering (IPT-SP, Brazil), and BArch (USP-SP, Brazil). Prior to her current position she has worked in design management for construction and real estate companies in Brazil. Her research interests include team work and collaboration in construction, effective communication in spatial problem solving, design and construction integration, and design - field team interaction.