Centre for Spatial Reasoning

Join us in Glasgow!

The Turner Kirk Centre for Spatial Reasoning at the University of Glasgow is delighted to host the 2026 Spatial Cognition conference from the 25th to 28th August 2026.

Workshops, symposia, posters and papers on various aspects of spatial cognition are all welcome. The conference will be in-person only.

Spatial Cognition is concerned with the acquisition, development, representation, organization, and use of knowledge about spatial objects in real, virtual or hybrid environments and processed by human or artificial agents. Spatial Cognition includes research from fields such as cognitive and developmental psychology, linguistics, computer science, geography, cartography, philosophy, neuroscience, and education.

Research issues in the field range from the investigation of human spatial cognition to mobile robot navigation, including aspects such as wayfinding, spatial planning, spatial learning, internal and external representations of space, and communication of spatial information. SC 2026 will bring together researchers working on spatial cognition from all of these perspectives. The conference is single-track, and the final program will be the result of a selective review process. The program will include invited talks as well as oral and poster presentations of refereed papers.

Programme

Click here to view the full conference schedule and programme

The conference will take place at the Glasgow University Union (except for the Civic Reception which will take palce at Glasgow City Chambers)

Keynote Speakers

We are delighted to announce the following keynote speakers at the conference:

From Classroom Observations to National Trials: The Role of Spatial Reasoning in Mathematics Cognition by Tom Lowrie
Arguably, some of the most important insights in mathematics education research begin not with large-scale data, but with the careful observation of individual students at work. This keynote traces a sustained programme of research that builds from small-scale, authentic classroom observations — in which students were seen to employ spatial skills and tools to varying degrees as they encountered mathematics tasks — to broad, nation-wide randomised control trials examining the relationship between spatial reasoning and mathematics achievement. The more consequential challenge is to understand the mechanisms that underpin this transfer, and to improve program efficacy in ways that can be sustained and scaled. It is at this juncture — where cognitive science, curriculum design, and implementation research converge — that the present program of work is now situated, and it is from this position that the keynote will chart a path forward.
 
Spatial Skills and Memory: How Spatial Training Defies the Odds to Improve Overall Performance by Lauren Margulieux
This talk will explore the unexpected relationship between spatial skills and achievement in a range of fields, many of which have nothing to do with physical space. Unlike most other cognitive skills that are either untrainable or ungeneralizable, spatial skills can both be developed through practice and improve performance on non-spatial tasks. Discovering the mechanisms for this connection is important for understanding spatial cognition and how to apply spatial training to improve learning and outcomes for people of all ages. This talk draws upon concepts from psychology, education, and neuroscience to examine likely mechanisms, opportunities for future research, and connections to current topics in human learning and performance.
 
Educating the Next Generation of Engineers: Spatial Thinking Is Key to Their Success by Sheryl Sorby
This keynote addresses the link between engineering success and spatial skills through three themes. In the first theme, data is examined from several studies where positive correlations have been found between spatial skill levels and proficiency in tasks that are a part of what it means to be an engineer. Studies in Theme 1 explore the positive contribution of spatial skills in solving mathematical problems, solving engineering problems, coding, designing, and even technical writing. Theme 2 examines how spatial skills naturally develop just by being enrolled in an engineering program. Taking part in the spatially demanding activities inherent to engineering studies appears to improve the spatial skills of enrolled students. In Theme 3, we examine the result of implementing explicit spatial skills training for students with initially weak skills. In this theme, the impact of spatial skills training on spatial skills, grades in technical courses, and retention in engineering is explored. The keynote concludes with a call for reform, advocating for an engineering education that acknowledges the importance of spatial skills development for student success and committing to ensuring that all who want to can become the future innovators in the profession.

Shortlist for the Christian Freksa Distinguished Paper Award

We are delighted to share two papers which have been shortlisted to recieve the Christian Freksa Distinguished Paper Award at the conference. The two papers are:

  • Performance convergence as a driver of visual strategy. A study focusing on scanpath similarities in mental-rotation tasks by Mirko Saunders and Claudia M. Quaiser-Pohl

  • Greater Male Variability in Mental Rotation Skills Emerges Early in Childhood by Jillian Lauer

Congratulations to the authors of these papers. The winner will be decided by attendee-ballot and announced at the closing session of the conference.

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Organising Committee

General Chairs

Programme Chairs

  • Emily Farran, University of Surrey
  • Victor Schinazi, Bond University
  • Angela Schwering, University of Münster

Symposia, Workshop and Tutorial Chairs

  • Zoe Falomir, Umeå University
  • Steve Weisberg, University of Texas at Arlington

Doctoral Colloquium Chairs

  • Estefanía Gamarra Burga, University of Greater Manchester
  • Caiwei Zhu, University of Twente

Poster Chairs

  • Ergi Bufasi, Rīga Stradiņš University
  • Danielle Harris, University of Canberra