Lifelong Learning Programme

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.
This web site reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

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This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This web site reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Teachers’ Guide

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EFFECTIVE USE OF TECHNOLOGIES TO PROMOTE SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE

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Chapter 3 – Software tools
3.6 Digital maps
The digital map is an electronic map, which operation is based on a combination of graphic elements assigned to it in the form of electronic information. It is based on naturally harvested and processed into digital cartographic data. Advantages of digital maps compared with paper maps are visible at first glance:
  • digital maps can include any area,
  • they’re scalable - we can freely zoom them in and out,
  • they’re more accurate (there are no printed maps on such a scale as the greatest closer of digital maps),
  • they are more up-to-date,
  • they may contain a lot of different information, and layered architecture that allows you to group data and turning them on and off doesn’t disrupt their visibility,
  • they are interactive (answer to the selected user actions),
  • they take up a lot less space and we may be always with you.

Below are listed the most important digital online map platforms:
  • Google maps – Google Maps is the most known digital map platform, available for desktop computers, phones, and tablets. Google Maps offers a lot of tools such as the provision of info about a place or giving directions to that place etc. Google Maps could also be used for educational purposes. Google Maps for Education provides resources to help teachers and students explore, create, and collaborate with mapping tools. Students who are taught geography are better equipped to understand how human and physical systems interact and to make informed decisions based on that knowledge.
  • Bing Maps – Bing Map is a part of Microsoft Bing suite, which can be considered as the best competitor of Google Map, featuring Street Maps, 3D Maps, Driving or transit direction, Traffic information and clearFlow, sharing and embedding maps and many more.
  • WikiMapia Map – WikiMapia is an editable interactive map. The goal of Wikimapia is to create and maintain a free, complete, multilingual, up-to-date map of the whole world. Wikimapia intends to contain detailed information about every place on Earth. The platforms mentioned above are available also on mobile devices through apps.
Online Resources
  • Digital mapsThis link provides more information about digital maps.
  • Google maps in educationThis link provides more information about the usage of Google maps in education.
  • igis mapThis link provides more information about the alternatives to Google maps.

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