Using UNESCO World Heritage Site of Vlkolínec (Slovakia) in Geographical Education

Year 2019, Volume: 9 Issue: 2, 426 - 446, 31.08.2019

İveta Rakytová İvana Tomčíková

https://doi.org/10.33403/rigeo.573655

Abstract

UNESCO identifies unique
places in the World, whether natural or man-made, of universally outstanding
value or cultural significance as World Heritage. These places are considered
heritage of all mankind, rather than just heritage of a particular area,
country, or region. Such sites can be rich sources of information not only for
the people of the region, but also for the general public, and are often
associated with lively tourism.

The aim of this paper is to
characterize the UNESCO World Heritage site of Vlkolínec, one of the most
visited UNESCO sites in Slovak Republic, and to use the settlement of Vlkolínec
as an example to describe how the site attributes can be used in geographical
education.

In the first part of the
paper, we describe the natural potential of Vlkolínec, characterize the
settlement’s development from the end of the 18th century to the present, and
describe historical landscape structures whose existence in Vlkolínec was the
reason for its inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List. In the school
year 2018/2019, we conducted a survey among students in the 2nd stage of
primary education in Liptov region on their knowledge about the UNESCO site of Vlkolínec.
Based on the results of the survey, we designed and realized a project with
year eight primary students at the Slovak UNESCO World Heritage site of
Vlkolínec.    

Keywords

UNESCO site, geographical education, project teaching

References

• Babál, M. (2002). Wooden Village Vlkolínec. Ružomberok, p. 312 (in Slovak)
• Bišťan, M. (2008). Vlkolínec a short history, architecture and life. Ružomberok, 20 p. (in Slovak)
• Dzuriak K. et al. 2014. Biely Potok, Vlkolínec. TESFO Ružomberok. 327 p. (in Slovak)
• Gullino, P., Larcher, F. (2013). Integrity in UNESCO World Heritage Sites. A comparative study for rural landscapes. Journal of Cultural Heritage, Volume 14, Issue 5, 2013, Pages 389-395, ISSN 1296-2074, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2012.10.005.Hudeková, Z. et al. (2009). Management Plan of the Monument Reservation of Folk Architecture Vlkolínec. (in Slovak) (Accessed online 20 April 2018). Avaliable at: https://www.pamiatky.sk/Content/Data/File/unesco/Vlkolínec_A5_final_20_5_2009.pdf
• Koca, N.; Yıldırım, R. (2018). Relationship between Geography-Tourism and Tourism’s Effects According to High School Students. Review of International Geographical Education Online (RIGEO), 8 (1), 26-52. Retrieved from http://www.rigeo.org/vol8no1/Number1Spring/RIGEO-V8-N1-2.pdf
• Križanová, I. (2001). Assessment of geographic knowledge of elementary school pupils about the local region on the example of Banská Bystrica district. Acta facultatis rerum naturalium Universitatis Mathias Bell. Geographical studies (8). Banská Bystrica: 309-315.
• Rakytová, I. (2018). European Union in the practical life of primary school pupils (at the 2nd level of primary schools in Slovakia): Useful Geography: Transfer from Research to Practice, Proceedings of 25th Central European Conference, Masaryk University, Brno. 65-81 Availabke at: https://munispace.muni.cz/index.php/munispace/catalog/book/997
• Plesník, P. (2002). Phytogeographical and Vegetation Divisions. Atlas of the Slovak Republic. Slovak environment agency. Banská Bystrica. 344 p.Svrček, P. et.al. (2014). Biely Potok - Vlkolínec. Ružomberok, 327 p. (in Slovak)Štefunková, D., Dobrovodská, M. (1998). Cultural and Historical Resources of Slovakia and their Importance for Sustainable Development. Izakovicová, Z.,
• Kozová, M., Pauditsová, E. (eds.): Implementation of the Sustainable Development. Smolenice: The Institute of Landscape Ecology of SAS: 104 – 111.
• Tomčíková, I. (2005). Field trip and excursions to local region in teaching of geography and homeland and nature study in primary school. Disputationes Scientificae Universitatis Catholicae in Ružomberok. 5 (1). 74-81.
• Tomčíková, I. (2018). Experience-based learning in teaching of the local landscape, Svobodova, H.: Useful Geography: Transfer from Research to Practice, Proceedings of 25th Central European Conference, Masaryk University, Brno: 91- 102.
• Tomčíková, I., Rakytová, I. (2018). Geography of local landscape in the educational process in primary schools in Slovakia. European journal of geography, 9 (1), 49-61
• Turek, I. (2014). Didactics. Wolters Kluwer, Bratislava, 620 p.
• Weis, K., Hronček. P. (2017). Using historic postcards and photographs for the research of historic landscape in geography and the possibilities of their digital processing. In The European Journal of Geography. 8 (5): 77-85.