IDENTIFICATION OF GAPS IN SPATIAL AWARENESS DEVELOPMENT TESTS AND MEANS OF THEIR ELIMINATION
The article examines the existing methods for checking spatial awareness on the basis of which seven of the most common defects of test content are detected, which automatically grow into a gap in the spatial awareness development tests (SADT). The work describes ways to minimize the effect of gaps in the test, or complete elimination by the proposed and proven methods. There was found the essence of the analogy of various SADT and the direct application of general and innovative testing principles as means of overcoming the gaps. The cases, where overcoming of the gaps is the basis for the development of spatial awareness and spatial thinking, were identified. There was systematically reviewed the module of unprocessed, missed tasks in the test, which led to a detailed analysis and investigation of the representation of graphic material in the tasks. Mini-testing of the influence of the graphic component on the speed and quality of the accomplishment of spatial tasks was carried out. The results of the mini-test showed the smallest number of errors in the cubic traditional model and the traditional model with use of shadows, indicating their successful use in the created training and evaluation course «PROSTIR-UA». Also, there was illustrated the necessity after processing of the test results, there was presented an example of the use of a block diagram of a combined algorithm of the spatial awareness development test, in the final stage of which, for the test taker, a recommendation base of the necessary auxiliary tasks is made, based on the results of the testing. The presented study aims to offer advanced approaches to existing methods and methods of motivating students to effectively use spatial awareness development tests and new tools for expanding and applying spatial knowledge.