# A Global Overview of SVA--Spatial-Visual Ability
## 5 Results
### Analysis by the Age Categories and Assessment Tools
#### 5.1.5 Ages 18 Years to 22 Years--University and Graduate Students (A5)
In the context of architectural education, spatial awareness--involving an subconscious understanding of one's body in the world--is recommended as a supplement to established instructional approaches [59] and may assist learners in creating embodied experiences. Authors [PERSON], [PERSON], [PERSON], and [PERSON] concluded that the absence of a correlation between Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) and spatial performance, as evaluated by the 3D Ability Test (3 DAT) [51] could have potential consequences for the current admission criteria for bachelor's-level architecture programs, thus necessitating an appraisal of spatial aptitude prior to enrolment at university [60]. The only Saudi Arabian study in which all participants were female [61] found that spatial aptitude is crucial for achieving academic success in the interior design program's early technical courses; however, it becomes an inadequate evaluation instrument during higher-level coursework. With Architecture and Design curricula as the framework, many researchers have created instruments to evaluate the spatial-visual ability of potential candidates and students. [PERSON] and [PERSON] determined that the 3D Ability Test (3 DAT) [51], which was devised to gauge spatial skills involved in technical drawings, was a credible indicator of spatial aptitude suitable for designers who had earlier demonstrated competence in technical drawing, positively correlating with better results on spatial ability tasks. The results implied the need to prioritise the perception of 2D-3D recognition for design-based courses. Beyond traditional psychometric approaches, the creation and validation of the Architecture and Interior Design Domain-Specific Spatial Ability Test (AISAT), a specialized spatial ability test for interior design and architecture, proposes significant benefits to academicians in the field of cognitive sciences [5]. For this study, participants completed two sets of spatial ability tests--General Spatial Ability (GSA), which had MRT [38] as a segment, and Domain-Specific Spatial Ability (DSA) (AISAT) [5]. Another study by the same scholars examined [22] the participants' design competence and compared it with their scores on a General Spatial Ability (GSA) test [5], along with their scores on a revised version of the Architecture and Interior Design Domain-Specific Spatial Ability Test (AISAT V.2) [22] and revealed that originality in spatial design, mental rotation, and spatial visualisation were all correlated to some degree. Merely providing instruction in technical drawing is inadequate for the cultivation of cognitive visualisation capabilities; augmenting students' 3D spatial perception skills can be achieved by employing supplementary digital tools and instruments, as found by a Turkish study [62]. A very recent study observed that utilising head-mounted displays (HMD) to fully scale sketch architectural structures in virtual immersive settings can enhance spatial abilities [14], as assessed with MRT [32] among many other spatial ability tests. Interactive graphics and simulated geometric solids were employed for the training of spatial visualisation, leading to a notable increase in the ability to identify and infer cross-sections of 3D objects [63], as assessed by the Santa Barbara Solids Test (SBST) [6]. [PERSON] and [PERSON] found that the inability to change one's perspective and break convoluted solids down into basic geometric components are the two challenges that participants face while taking the spatial-visual ability tests, specifically the Mental Rotations Test (MRT) [32] and the Visualisation of Views Test (VV) designed by [PERSON] in 1976, as cited by [6]. They developed a novel assessment tool, the Santa Barbara Solids Test (SBST), based on these findings.