ELECTRONIC EDUCATIONAL ATLAS ON GEOGRAPHY FOR SCHOOLS OF KAZAKHSTAN

Дамекова С.К.¹, Хан С.И.² , Мурадилова Г.С.³ , Мухамеджанов К.Ж.⁴

¹Кандидат педагогических наук,  ² кандидат технических наук, ³ старший преподаватель, ⁴ магистрант факультета техники и технологий, Кокшетауский государственный университет Ш. Уалиханова

ЭЛЕКТРОННЫЙ УЧЕБНЫЙ АТЛАС ПО ГЕОГРАФИИ ДЛЯ ШКОЛ КАЗАХСТАНА

Аннотация

В статье рассматриваются методология исследования, выполняемого в рамках научного проекта,  вопросы создания и применения электронных учебных атласов по географии. В статье представлено содержание электронного учебного атласа  Казахстана, а также скриншоты интерфейса электронного атласа, демонстрирующие  функции навигации по картам атласа. В основной части статьи описаны дидактические функции и учебные задачи, которые могут решать учитель и ученик при использовании электронного учебного атласа на казахском, русском, английском языках. В завершающей части статьи описана технология создания электронного атласа, разработанного средствами  работы с пространственными данными  библиотеки MapWindow и  языка программирования С# в среде Visual Studio 2013.

Ключевые слова: геоинформационная система, электронный учебный атлас по географии, геоинформационные технологии в образовании, дидактические функции.

Damekova S.K.¹ , Han S.I.², Muradilov G.S.³, Mukhamedzhanov K.Zh.⁴

¹ PhD in Pedagogy, ² PhD in Engineering, ³ Senior teacher, ⁴ undergraduate of faculty of Equipment and Technologies, Kokshetau State University named after Sh. Ualikhanov

ELECTRONIC EDUCATIONAL ATLAS ON GEOGRAPHY FOR SCHOOLS OF KAZAKHSTAN

Аbstract

In the article the methodology of the research which is carried out within scientific project, the creation and application of electronic educational atlas on Geography are considered. The content of the electronic educational atlases of Kazakhstan, and also interface screenshots of the electronic atlas showing functions of navigation on the maps of the atlas are presented in the article. In the main part of the article the didactic functions and educational problems are described which a teacher and a pupil can solve using electronic educational atlas in the Kazakh, Russian and English languages. In the concluding part of the article the technology of the creation of electronic atlas is described developed by means of work with spatial data of a library MapWindow and a programming language C# in the environment Visual Studio 2013.

Keywords: geographical information systems, electronic educational atlas on geography for schools, didactic functions, geoinformation technology in the education.

The modern elementary and high school is characterized by active approach of geoinformation technologies. Nowadays in some countries (the USA, Great Britain, Austria, India, Russia, Ukraine and others) the geographical information systems (GIS) , electronic educational atlas in particular  are widely used in school geographical education [1,2,3,4]. “The geo info set of educational maps "Atlas" project is carried out at Kokshetau State University named after Sh. Ualikhanov, according to the budgetary program of the Ministry of Education and Science of the RK at the Natural Science Department (№ ГР 0113РК00407). The goal of the project is to determine the structure of the functional possibilities, content, the technology of creation of electronic educational atlas in geography. The electronic educational atlas is developed for the schools in Kazakhstan for the first time. In present there are some thematic projects to solve specialized scientific and applied problem in business and management  in Kazakhstan. The analysis of specialized scientific material, pedagogical practice show the usage of electronic educational atlases at geography lessons and in extra curricular activities prominently expands the educational activity of the teacher and the student, stimulates cognitive curiosity, forms geo information competence.

The first stage of scientific- research work is based on the analysis methods of domestic market- resume, interview; and geo information methods of work with electronic raster images and their transformation to the unified map system of coordinates and projecting with further vectoring. The analogues of electronic educational atlases  are analyzed [5,6,7]. The analysis of educational textbook and the map sets are analyzed. The structure and function of the electronic educational atlas in geography is determined.

 According to the two year scientific study there were thematic editions for the following maps  of Kazakhstan: physical map, the map of territory investigation, geological map, tectonic maps, mineral resources map, climate map,  hydro graphic map, natural zones, physical-geographical map of the Kazakhstan regions, economic, ecological maps.

The fine-tuning of vector layers for the maps of Kazakhstan, testing, approbation of the electronic educational atlases in geography at schools, the creation of the methodical recommendation for teachers are carried out at the final stage of the work.

The created electronic educational atlas in geography includes 80 vector layers for the school curriculum in geography, allows to use geo information technologies at elementary schools. It provides to master the school geography curriculum, using interactive filling in and analysis of geographical maps, the creation of their own maps, the work with different kinds of contour maps, the creation of their own descriptions of geographical maps on the basis of the analysis of multimedia information objects.

The electronic educational atlas improves the effectiveness of the studying process, with the help of the usage of geo information technologies in the salvation of the traditional and new geographical problems at geography lessons. Among those problems, there is comparison and analysis of the maps of different contents of the same area with the aim to find out the connection between climate and terrain, climate and vegetation. Such kind of problems are difficult while using traditional maps, because they are based on several maps. The electronic educational atlas allows to solve the problem rapidly, and it helps a student to make such kind of analysis which developed skills of scientific work. In figure 1 imposing of a physical map and mineral resources map is presented.

Fig. 1. - Screenshot in the mode of imposing of a phisical map and a mineral resources map of Kazakhstan

The developed electronic educational atlas in geography allows to help a teacher to solve the following problems in Kazakh, Russian and English: the usage of different models in class- digital maps, digital images; to change the size of mapping image on the screen with the goal of changing detailed placing of geographical objects and phenomena; to put one kind of maps ( layers) on the others, and also on geographical and physical map;to prepare the set of digital maps, including contour map, necessary for the practice; to use the set of demonstration maps and diagram maps, place in the library of additional multimedia information.

While using the electronic educational atlas a student can do it in Russian, Kazakh, and English:to read geographical maps in digital; to search geographical objects on digital maps; to measure on digital map; to fill in digital contour maps; to creat his own digital geographical map; to analyze the statistics, placed in the library of additional multimedia information; to describe the connection between geographical objects and phenomena while using digital thematic maps of different content; to save digital map and multimedia information in a file, to print.

The developed technology of creation of electronic maps and programming of electronic educational atlas in geography apples a consequent carrying out of the operation:   the storage, studying and analysis of the original material for digital maps; the transformation of digital maps to the unified mapping system of coordinates and projecting; the forming of digital map, scanning, attaching of the raster sound -proofing, putting thematic layer on typical basis, digitalization of contours; the development of inter face of program shell: the main window, menu, and tool instrument; the creation of data of attributive geographical information in 3 languages( Kazakh, Russian, English); the involvement, lightning of shape files of digital maps, placing of symbols; the involvement of multimedia information to digital maps of electronic atlas; the programming realization of legends of electronic atlas; the programming realization of functional navigation, searching, exporting, importing of shape files, measuring of geographical coordinates, stamps, forming and filling in contour maps.

While creating of vector layers, the technical side is exact, as while working with rasters all the aspects of mathematical basis of maps were taken into consideration. The system of coordinates of Pulkovo-42 with the protection- normal conical by Kavraisky was made for the maps of Kazakhstan. The developed vectoring thematic layers involve moderate generalization and object selection.

The approbation took place in schools of Kokshetau. The experimental testing of the methods of geography studying with using electronic educational atlas showed its effectiveness. The table program shell of electronic educational atlas is made with the library funding OpenSourceMapWinGIS [8].

References

1. Andrew J Milson; Ali Demirci; Joseph J Kerski, International perspectives on teaching and learning with GIS in secondary schools, Dordrecht ; New York : Springer, 2012.
2. Ali Demirci., How do Teachers Approach New Technologies: Geography Teachers’ Attitudes towards Geographic Information Systems (GIS), European Journal of Educational Studies 1(1), pp.43-53, 2009.
3. Jones et al., Digital maps for learning: Review and prospect, Computers & Education, vol. 43, pp.91–107, 2004.
4. Ormeling, F., Functionality of electronic school atlases. In: Köbben, B., Ormeling, F., Trainor, T. (eds.) Seminar on Elec- tronic Atlases II, pp. 33–39. ICA Commission on National and Regional Atlases, Prague,1997.
5. Нaeberling , Baer Н. The New Web-Based "Swiss World Atlas Interactive" –  Characterisation of the Cartographic Representations and the Functionality for a Modern Geographic Education  Proceedings  25th ICA International Cartographic Conference in Paris (France), 3 – 8 July 2011, pp. 471-489
6. Interactive Perthers World map, published by Ernst  Klett Verlag, GmbH, Stuttgard, 2009
7. Portal Russian education http://www.edu.ru/maps/
8. Site of the GIS developers of MapWinGIS system http: // mapwingis.codeplex.com/releases