Graphical Materials as Teaching Tools for the Conceptualization of Space

Didactic publication is just one of the results of an international project R.A.V.E Space, which aims with young people to raise the awareness of values of space through the process of education. The state of the space and the changes that have occurred within in it over extended time periods can be most easily found out using a variety of graphical materials. Among these, cartographic and photographic materials, in classical or electronic form, stand out and form an indispensable tool in teaching young people about space and its importance for the continuing development of society. We highlight in particular the use of different maps, aerial photos, three-dimensional and simulated models and photographs of an area from different time periods. We have presented a selection of cartographic and other graphical teaching tools at seminars for teachers, showing how they can be used to teach pupils about the significance and role of space for sustainable development

Content and principles in creating school maps

Cilj doktorske disertacije je podrobneje preučiti pomen šolskih zemljevidov v izobraževalnem procesu in nadgraditi ugotovitve tujih in domačih strokovnjakov z novimi spoznanji. Na osnovi opravljenih raziskav učbenik ostaja prevladujoč način posredovanja kartografskih vsebin v izobraževalnem procesu, zato je pozornost usmerjena predvsem na zemljevide v učbenikih. Sklepna teza izhaja iz analize vsebin obstoječih učnih načrtov v Sloveniji in njihove primerjave z nekaterimi kurikuli v drugih evropskih državah, Kanadi in Avstraliji. Spoznanja temeljijo tudi na obsežni analizi kartografskih znanj slovenskih osnovnošolcev in dijakov, želja učiteljev in izkušenj urednikov, ki vključujejo kartografsko gradivo v učbenike. Te analize so bile opravljene z metodo anketiranja in intervjuvanja. Rezultati so pokazali, da slovenski učni načrti v primerjavi s tujimi zagotavljajo obsežne in temeljite kartografske vsebine, zlasti od druge triade osnovnih šol dalje, kljub temu pa se pri učencih pokažejo vrzeli v nekaterih segmentih kartografskih znanj o Sloveniji. Za raziskavo vzrokov je bil opravljen pregled celotnega kartografskega komunikacijskega sistema od kartografa, ki sporočila kodira, do spoznavnih zemljevidov, ki so rezultat uporabnikovega miselnega dekodiranja sporočil, ki jih zemljevid prinaša. Namen raziskave je dopolnitev kartografskih oblikovalskih načel, ki bodo izhodišče za pripravo didaktično čim bolj dovršenih šolskih zemljevidov v prihodnje in za nadaljnji razvoj šolske kartografije.This doctoral dissertation studies the significance of school maps in education in detail and complements findings by experts from Slovenia and abroad with new insights. Based on the studies conducted, textbooks remain the predominant method for presenting cartographic material in the educational system, and therefore the main focus is on the maps used in textbooks. The concluding thesis proceeds from an analysis of Slovenian curricula and their comparison with selected curricula in other European countries, Canada, and Australia. The findings are also based on an extensive analysis of the cartographic knowledge of Slovenian primary-school and secondary-school students, teachers’ preferences, and the experience of the editors that incorporate cartographic material into textbooks. These analyses were carried out using a survey and interviews. The results showed that, compared to the curricula in other countries, the Slovenian curricula provide extensive and thorough cartographic material, especially from the fourth grade onwards. Nonetheless, the students show gaps in certain segments of cartographic knowledge of Slovenia. In order to study the causes for this, the entire cartographic communication system was examined—from the cartographers that encode the messages, to cognitive maps, which are the result of users’ mental decoding of messages provided by the map. The study adds to the cartographic design principles that will serve as a starting point for preparing the best possible school maps for teaching in the future and for further development of school cartography

Metodologija tematske kartografije nacionalnega atlasa Slovenije

The book outlines the scientific achievements of digital cartography developed for the purpose of the National Atlas of Slovenia, published in 1998 with the title Geographical Atlas of Slovenia. Different topics, referring to thematic maps, such as brief description of the history of thematic cartography and various atlases, have been explained. Further on all stages in the working process of digital mapmaking with all the emphasis on appropriate aesthetic solutions in accordance with different content use have been interpreted in detail. Cartographic scientific statements have been emphasised with cases of thematic maps from the Geographical Atlas of Slovenia. The author demonstrates the classical cartographic principles, formed in long lasting development of cartographic profession as well as the newest methodological ascertainments that were applied using the up-to-date digital technology.Knjiga prinaša rezultate avtoričinega raziskovalnega dela na področju tematske kartografije ob pripravljanju prvega nacionalnega atlasa Slovenije, ki je izšel leta 1998 z naslovom Geografski atlas Slovenije. Vsebuje tudi krajši pregled zgodovinskega razvoja tematske kartografije ter splošnogeografskih in nacionalnih atlasov, predvsem pa opis vseh stopenj delovnega procesa pri računalniški izdelavi tematskih zemljevidov s posebnim poudarkom na njihovem usklajenem estetskem in vsebinskem oblikovanju

The Importance of Teachers’ Perception of Space in Education

In addition to environmental problems, spatial pressures are also being exacerbated by increasing economic development, the prosperity of the European population, and the increasing needs of various activities. These can only be mitigated through carefully planned use of space, which demands more active inclusion of the public in addition to relevant services. For successful public inclusion it is important for both individuals and social communities to be aware that space is a limited commodity exposed to increasing social and economic pressure. This kind of awareness demands an informed and educated population that will not only build its attitude towards space based on conceptual knowledge, but also supplement this through perceptual knowledge obtained in education. Active, responsible, and critical citizens can only be cultivated by properly educated, informed, and motivated teachers. These teachers can use new methods to address many existing topics and include new topics to considerably broaden their students’ minds. This is also what this paper seeks to demonstrate. It focuses on the comprehension of space through spatial perception, further development of routine conceptual knowledge through fieldwork, and the possibility of applying selected methods to learning processes. The goal of these efforts will be achieved when individuals and society understand that space is a limited commodity and that the attitude towards it must change as soon as possible if space is to be preserved for future generations in the spirit of sustainable development

Prostor v slovenski zgodovinski povesti in njegova geografska prezentacija

Zgodovinske povesti so povečini umeščene v geografsko določljiv prostor, ki ga je mogoče kartirati na zemljevidih. Ti imajo zaradi slikovne predstavitve stvarnosti veliko sporočilno vrednost. Analize in upodobitve na zemljevidih s pomočjo geografskih informacijskih sistemov zahtevajo predhodno vzpostavitev tabelaričnih podatkov. Podatkovna zbirka slovenskega zgodovinskega romana iz leta 1999 vsebuje tudi podatke o dogajališčih, ki so bili za potrebe vzorčne predstavitve na spletnih zemljevidih dopolnjeni in poenoteni za 48 izbranih romanov od skupaj 310 vpisanih. Članek popisuje izkušnje in dileme z označevanjem dogajališč v romanih in razlaga pripravo podatkov za novo podatkovno zbirko in za njihovo prezentacijo na zemljevidu. Pripenja jih na dosedanje ugotovitve o značaju in vlogi prostora v tem žanru, poroča pa tudi od rugih postavitvah literarnih in literarnovednih podatkov na zemljevide

Space and its Geographical Presentation in Slovene Historical Narrative

Zgodovinske povesti so povečini umeščene v geografsko določljiv prostor, ki ga je mogoče kartirati na zemljevidih. Ti imajo zaradi slikovne predstavitve stvarnosti veliko sporočilno vrednost. Analize in upodobitve na zemljevidih s pomočjo geografskih informacijskih sistemov zahtevajo predhodno vzpostavitev tabelaričnih podatkov. Podatkovna zbirka slovenskega zgodovinskega romana iz leta 1999 vsebuje tudi podatke o dogajališčih, ki so bili za potrebe vzorčne predstavitve na spletnih zemljevidih dopolnjeni in poenoteni za 48 izbranih romanov od skupaj 310 vpisanih. Članek popisuje izkušnje in dileme z označevanjem dogajališč v romanih in razlaga pripravo podatkov za novo podatkovno zbirko in za njihovo prezentacijo na zemljevidu. Pripenja jih na dosedanje ugotovitve o značaju in vlogi prostora v tem žanru, poroča pa tudi od rugih postavitvah literarnih in literarnovednih podatkov na zemljevide

The wellbeing of Slovenia's population by region: comparison of indicators with an emphasis on health

In broader definitions, wellbeing is commonly described as a multidimensional concept, defined by the state of happiness, health, and prosperity. However, due to various understandings of conceptual issues regarding wellbeing, professionals encounter a number of methodological problems connected with measuring it. Composite indicators are thus being increasingly used to measure population's wellbeing. Health is an important area of wellbeing and is connected with indicators similar to those used for measuring general wellbeing. This article uses composite indicators to compare various areas of wellbeing, and especially health-related wellbeing, among the twelve Slovenian statistical regions. The findings show great differences between Slovenian regions. In western Slovenia (the Central Slovenia, Soča, Coastal-Karst, and Upper Carniola regions), the level of wellbeing is generally high, and in eastern Slovenia (the Carinthia, Lower Sava, Mura, and Central Sava regions) it is lower. Except for minor deviations, the level of general wellbeing in the regions matches the level of health-related wellbeing

Atlant and Slovene national consciousness in the second half of the 19th century

The geographic literature made an important contribution to the development of national consciousness among Slovenes in the 19thcentury, as well as to the reinforcement of Slovene identity after Slovenia's independence in 1991. A typical example of this kind of geographic publication is Atlant, the first atlas of the world in the Slovene language, which was published in installments from 1869 to 1877. Atlant followed the concept of a Unified Slovenia, and this idea boosted the confidence of Slovenes, the bulk of whom were incorporated into Austria-Hungary as they entered the stage of European politics as a nation for the first time. With the publication of Atlant, a number of geographical names were trans-lated into Slovene or Slovenized for the first time. The geographic, linguistic, and political conditions in which Slovenes lived, as well as the relations at the time between Slovene, German, and Slavic languages, are reflect-ed in the way foreign place names were adapted. The reprinting of Atlant in 2005 is also associated with a critical period in history, since it was published after the independence of Slovenia and its inclusion in the European Union, a time when the young state has been seeking its identity among all the world's nations

Slovenia in Focus

Knjiga, ki je bila izdana ob predsedovanju Slovenije Evropski uniji, vsebuje strnjene in nazorno (s preglednicami, statističnimi podatki, dodelanimi tematskimi zemljevidi ter številnimi barvnimi grafikoni in fotografijami) prikazane relevantne podatke o naši državi, od temeljnih kulturno-zgodovinskih podatkov do bistvenih informacijo naravnem okolju in družbenem razvoju. Na koncu sta dodana imensko kazalo preglednega zemljevida Slovenije na strani 31 in petjezični slovarček glavnih zemljepisnih izrazov

Kocenov srednješolski atlas kot didaktična prelomnica

This monograph (‘Kozenn's school atlas as a milestone in education') was released on the 150th anniversary of the publication of the first secondary-school atlas by Blasius Kozenn (a.k.a. Blaž Kocen). He grew up in a Slovenian farming family near Ponikva, Lower Styria. While working as a teacher, he realized he needed more new teaching aids and he advocated more modern methods of teaching. His cooperation with the publisher Eduard Hölzel was of key importance. Kozenn’s crowning accomplishment was the first successful school atlas in the Austrian Empire, published in 1861. It contained twenty-seven maps, of which three were on double pages, and was published in German, Hungarian, Czech, and Polish. The author followed the example of the leading German atlases of that time, but he thoroughly adapted it to local conditions, introduced several important new features, and ensured that its reprints and other atlases that used his as a model were constantly technically, artistically, and conceptually improved. Kozenn’s secondary-school atlas soon became the leading one in the German-speaking part of the empire, whereas in the Czech, Polish, and Hungarian schools his “small” atlases, which were more limited in their coverage and cheaper, were initially more successful. After Kozenn’s death, the publisher decided to maintain his well-established brand, and so even 150 years since its first publication the Kozenn-Atlas is still a prominent name.Knjiga je nastala ob 150-letnici izida prvega Kocenovega srednješolskega atlasa, ki je pustil globoke sledi v kartografiji in didaktiki geografskega pouka. Z nedvomnim talentom in predvsem izredno delavnostjo obdarjeni Blaž Kocen je odraščal v slovenski kmečki družini v bližini Ponikve na južnem Štajerskem. Krona njegovega dela je bil prvi uspešni šolski atlas v avstrijskem cesarstvu, ki je izšel leta 1861, hkrati v nemščini, madžarščini, češčini in poljščini. V njem je Kocen skušal združiti najboljše odlike drugih takratnih atlasov, predvsem pa si je prizadeval, da bi bil izdelek za dijake čim bolj in čim dlje uporaben, nazoren in cenovno dostopen. Založba Hölzel ohranja uveljavljeno blagovno znamko in po 150 letih od prvega izida je Kozenn-Atlas še vedno ugledno ime šolskih atlasov tako v Avstriji kot po svetu