Using WebGIS Platforms and Inquiry-based Activities to Teach about World Political Map and World Population

Abstract

In Slovakia, a national project IT Academy – the education for the 21st century – was launched to promote student interest in science, mathematics and informatics across secondary education; and to also prepare students for the digital age. Geography education has an opportunity to undergo a process of reconceptualization and change in response to an increased use of technology. Recent trends in geography education which are occurring as a result of technological developments have resulted in the map, a primary tool of a geographer, becoming substituted by digital technologies such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS). However, digital advancements have not been reflected in the teaching and learning of geography. Therefore, based on such an assumption, the aim of the current study is to encourage Geography students to acquire knowledge and develop skills through the purposeful use and implementation of geospatial technologies. The paper presents learning activities about World Political Map and World Population for secondary school students who are studying Geography, which are designed to make Geography lessons more inquiry-based with real-life application. The activities were piloted and evaluated by Geography teachers all over Slovakia. In conclusion, the statements from teachers confirm the project is relevant for gradual reform of geography education in our country.

Keywords

• geography education,IT Academy,webGIS platform,world political map,world population

References

1. Artvinli, E. (2010). The contribution of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to Geography Education and Secondary School Students´ Attitudes Related to GIS. [Abstract] Educational Sciences: Theory and Practice, 10(3), 1277-1292. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ919854.pdf Csachová, S. (2018). Geografia na ceste ku koncepčnej inovácii v projekte IT Akadémia. Pedagogická revue, 65(3), 40-59. Retrieved from http://www.statpedu.sk/files/sk/ publikacna-cinnost/casopisy/pedagogicka-revue/2018/pedagogicka-revue-3-2018.pdf
2. Čipková, E., Balážová, Z., & Karolčík, Š. (2017). Rozvíjanie prírodovednej gramotnosti žiakov gymnázia prostredníctvom bádateľsky orientovaného učenia. Biologie Chemie Zeměpis, 26(2), 2-10. Retrieved from http://bichez.pedf.cuni.cz/archive/2017/2/1.pdf
3. Demirci, A. (2015). The effectiveness of geospatial practices in education. In Solari, O. M., Demirci, A., & van der Schee J. (Eds.), Geospatial Technologies and Geography Education in a Changing World (pp. 141-154). Japan: Springer.
4. Gersmehl, P. (2014). Teaching Geography. (3rd ed.) New York: The Guilford Press.
5. Hofierka, J. (2011). Nové možnosti komunikácie geografickej informácie pomocou geopriestorovej internetovej technológie Google maps a Google Earth. Folia Geographica, 17(52), 100-108.
6. International Geographical Union. (2016). International Charter on Geography Education. Retrieved from https://www.igu-cge.org/2016-charter/
7. IT Akadémia – vzdelávanie pre 21. storočie, www.itakademia.sk
8. Karolčík, Š., & Čipková, E. (2015). Využitie bádateľsky orientovaných metód vo vyučovaní geografie. Geografická revue, 11(1), 15-30.

9. Karolčík, Š., Likavský, P., & Mázorová, H. (2015). Vývoj vyučovania geografie na základných školách a gymnáziách na Slovensku po roku 1989 a návrh základných koncepčných prvkov nového modelu geografického vzdelávania. Geografický časopis, 67(3), 261-284.
10. Karolčík, Š., Čipková, E., & Mázorová, H. (2016). Application of digital technologies in the geography teaching process from the teachers’ perspective, International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, 25(4), 328-343. doi:10.1080/10382046.2016.1207992
11. Karvánková, P. (2015). Badatelsky orientované vyučování zeměpisu. Retrieved from http://test.sciencezoom.cz/documents/ke-stazeni/vystupy.pdf
12. Karvánková, P., Popjaková, D., Vančura, M., & Nedvědová, Š. (2017). Inquiry-Based Education of Physical Geography. In Karvánková, P., Popjaková, D., Vančura, M., & Mládek, H. (Eds.) Current Topics in Czech and Central European Geography Education (pp. 63-86). Switzerland: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-43614-2_5
13. Kerski, J. J. (2019a). Teaching Demography and Population Change Using Web GIS Tools and Data. The Geography Teacher, 16(3), 126-132. doi:10.1080/19338341.2019.1619608
14. Kerski, J. J. (2019b). Teaching about Political Boundaries using WebGIS Tools and Data. The Geography Teacher, 16(4), 179-181. doi:10.1080/19338341.2019.1675080
15. Kireš, M., Šveda, D., Ješková, Z., Lukáč, S., Ganajová, M., Lešková, A., & Csachová, S. (2019). Key innovation concepts of STEM education driven by IT Academy project. In: 17th IEEE International Conference on Emerging E-learning Technologies and Applications (pp. 378-382). Slovakia: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
16. Král, L., & Řezníčková, D. (2013). Rozšíření a implementace GIS ve výuce na gymnáziích v Česku. Geografie, 118(3), 265-283.
17. Mesa10. 2019. Analýza zistení o stave školstva na Slovensku. To dá rozum. Retrieved from https://analyza.todarozum.sk
18. Mládek, J., Káčerová, M., Popjaková D., & Vančura, M. (2017). Changes in Demographic Behaviour: Possible Use of Its Findings in Didactic Practice. In Karvánková, P., Popjaková, D., Vančura, M., & Mládek J. (Eds.) Current Topics in Czech and Central European Geography Education (pp. 253-280). doi:10.1007/978-3-319-43614-2_14
19. Milson, A. J., Demirci, A., & Kerski, J., J. (2012). International Perspectives on Teaching and Learning with GIS in Secondary Schools. New York: Springer.
20. National Institute for Education in Slovak Republic. (2015). State Educational Programme. Bratislava. Retrieved from http://www.statpedu.sk/sk/svp/inovovany-statny-vzdelavaci-program/
21. Orosová, R., Ganajová, M., Szarka, K., & Babinčáková, M. (2019). Hodnotenie v prírodovedných predmetoch v podmienkach slovenského školstva. Scientia in educatione, 10(1), 17-32.
22. Rehúš, M. (2018). Encyklopedizmus náš každodenný. Komentáre, 2, Bratislava: Inštitút vzdelávacej politiky, Ministerstvo školstva, vedy, výskumu a športu SR. Retrieved from https://www.minedu.sk/data/att/13792.pdf
23. Solari, O. M., Demirci, A., & van der Schee, J. (Eds.) (2015). Geospatial Technologies and Geography Education in a Changing World. Geospatial Practices and Lessons Learned. Japan: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-4-431-55519_3
24. Škodová, M., & Schubertová, R., (2018). Výskumne ladený prístup v sprístupňovaní konceptov o vode krajine na základnej škole. In Čtrnáctová, H., Nesměrák, K., Teplá, M. (eds.) DidSci Plus – Research in Didactics Plus (pp. 383-392). Praha: Univerzita Karlova.
25. Škodová, M., & Trniková, M. (2019). Príprava študentov na využívanie induktívneho prístupu vo vyučovaní geografie. In Vzdelávame pre budúcnosť. Zborník vedeckých a odborných štúdií (pp. 93-102). Banská Bystrica: Belianum.
26. Tolmáči, L., & Karolčík, Š. (2017). Current Geography Education in Slovakia: Conversions and Conditions. In Karvánková, P., Popjaková, D., Vančura, M., & Mládek J. (Eds.) Current Topics in Czech and Central European Geography Education. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-43614-2_3
27. Van der Schee, J., Trimp, H., Béneker, T., & Favier, T. (2015). Digital Geography Education in the Twenty-First Century: Needs and Opportunities. In Solari, O. M., Demirci, A., & van der Schee J. (Eds.), Geospatial Technologies and Geography Education in a Changing World (pp. 11-20). Japan: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-4-431-55519_2