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Mathematics
Technology-Supported Solutions that Work


Building Perspective

Description: Building Perspective is an award-winning game that helps students develop spatial perception, problem-solving, and visual reasoning skills. Using technology, students compare and contrast four side views of buildings to construct a top view of 3 x 3, 4 x 4, or 5 x 5 city blocks with buildings of different heights.

As they solve visual puzzles of increasing difficulty by extrapolating information from side views and constructing a hypothesis of the top view, students establish deductive reasoning, visual memory, spatial perception and sequencing skills. They become higher order thinkers when they deal with the advanced problems on the program that may have incomplete or seemingly conflicting information. They also develop the rational "eye" needed for quality performance in art, design, geometry and trigonometry.

Online help is available, and a Teacher's Guide provides materials and extension activities.

Developer:
Sunburst Technology

Publisher:
Sunburst Technology, a Houghton Mifflin Company

Grade Levels: 4+

Cost: $99.95 (Lab pack of 10)




Effectiveness:
Reviewed by University of California, Berkeley for NCREL and Metiri Group (2000)

Students find Building Perspective to be interesting and engaging, although no research has been done to document the impact of the game on their spatial perception and visual reasoning. Most students can build the 3 x 3 cities successfully and can be quite challenged by the 4 x 4 and 5 x 5 cities. The "Hide Building" option is especially effective once students have reached the point where all the buildings that they can see are correct. They can then use the "Hide Building" option to find the correct buildings that are hidden.

While reviewed favorably by the Berkeley research team, no effectiveness research has been conducted.