GIS technologies have a strong impact on the education of children and teenagers.
For example, teens were shown to be better able to understand the role that space plays in features such as community water systems and water distribution.
There are many ways to use GIS technologies in teaching. Over the years the school has created many tools to encourage teachers to use GIS technologies.
One of them, called EduGIS, which is a web atlas, was found to benefit students’ understanding on spatial properties.
EduGIS is the platform for geo-information technology in education. EduGIS has its own map module (EduGIS Map) with more than 500 map layers for Netherlands, Europe and for the rest of the World. Moreover, it provides information on geo-information technology and teaching materials for education with geo-information technology. EduGIS Map, ArcGIS Online, QGIS and Google Earth are used for this.
EduGIS started 16 years ago (2004) by making digital maps of the Land Registry and Topographical Service for education available. In the same year, two teaching modules were developed as an example of working with geo-ICT, aimed at developing geographical awareness (higher thinking skills, spatial thinking).
In 2014 more than 500 students used EduGIS every school day (more than 75,000 per year) and in addition, the system runs in the cloud, so that capacity can be flexibly adapted to demand.
EduGIS is just one of the existing teaching tools in the world.
It’s important to know and disseminate most of them, because they promote the understanding of GIS technology benefits.
