Methodology for developing students’ spatial imagination through the use of 3D modeling elements in fine arts lessons

Abstract

This article examines the scientific and methodological foundations of developing students’ spatial imagination through the use of 3D modeling elements in the process of fine arts education. The rapid introduction of modern digital technologies into the educational process requires new approaches to the content, tools, and methods of teaching fine arts. In particular, the ability to imagine a three- dimensional object based on a two-dimensional image, understand its shape, volume, proportions, spatial position, and relationships between light and shadow plays an important role in developing students’ visual-spatial thinking. The study explains the concept of 3D modeling from the perspective of fine arts education and identifies the main components of spatial imagination, including spatial perception, mental rotation, spatial transformation of forms, understanding proportional relationships, perceiving an object from different viewpoints, and the ability to move from a two- dimensional image to a three-dimensional model. An analysis of the scientific literature demonstrates that the use of 3D modeling and spatial visualization tools has the potential to develop students’ spatial skills. At the same time, educational effectiveness depends not simply on the technology itself, but on the pedagogically appropriate organization of its use. The article proposes a staged methodological model for integrating 3D modeling elements into fine arts lessons, together with scientific hypotheses, pedagogical conditions, assessment criteria, and mechanisms for experimental verification.