[Top
]VIRTUAL GEOGRAPHY TEXTS (VGT) ON CANADA AND GERMANY
| THE PROJECT | PRESENTATIONS | PUBLICATIONS |
" Electronic atlases, the Internet, computer assisted mapping, and geographic information systems (GIS) are having an effect on geographic education that is probably as great as the introduction of printed books and atlases. The integration of these technologies and the concomitant evolution of a virtual geography textbook are now shaping the future of geographic education in uncharted ways." (Sharpe 1997, in: Hecht & Pletsch, eds., 1997, p. 329).
This was one of the final statements of the German-Canadian Textbook Commission of the Georg Eckert Institute (Braunschweig, Germany) after an intensive phase of geography textbook analyses and evaluations during the 1990s. It was integrated as part of the recommendations which were suggested by the Commission at the end of its initial task which was to scrutinise textbooks and atlases and to emphasise their strengths and weaknesses as well as to suggest improvements.
In several of the recommendations the use of electronic devices, especially of the internet, was emphasised. It was felt by the Commission, however, that it was not enough to give advises but rather to go one step further and give examples. Thus, the idea to launch a pilot project on Virtual Geography Texts on Canada and Germany (VGT) developed as a side-effect and was consequently realised during the years 1999 and 2000. The general aim of the project was to present precise, up to date and problem-oriented teaching materials about Canada and Germany and make it accessible via the internet.
[Top]
The general structure of the VGT consists of four modules with a somewhat similar thematic and formal set up for the two countries concerned. The first module gives an overall introduction portraying the whole range of geographic features which are relevant to teaching according to the guidelines and teaching requirements. The other modules deal with resources and physical aspects of the two countries, focus on regional aspects of each country's economy and urban realm an on cultural/historical landscapes. Each module consists of a 30 to 40-page text document, some scanned maps, graphs, tables as well as some photographs. The main documentation, however, comes from internet addresses which are embedded in the texts where teachers and students can turn to expand their information base if so desired.
The organisational structure of the modules follows a somewhat similar concept for the two countries concerned. There are at least ten text units within each of the modules on a variety of topics including overviews on physical, historical, economic and urban landscapes of the respective countries. The units are thematically interconnected, yet can be used individually according to the needs of a lecturer, a teacher or a student. The documentation through scanned materials and internet links varies considerably within the units and is far from being standardised. The number of links within a given text unit may be as high as 30 or 40 in some of the units, others contain no more than four or five. In most cases the links do not refer to homepages but rather to the specific information source within a given web site, thus facilitating the use of the texts and avoiding time consuming internet search.
Each unit starts with a short indication of the teaching aim of the unit in form of a short description of the thematic content and intention of the text. Furthermore, keywords (up to ten in each unit) reflect the main topics of the units and allow the user to detect, without reading the entire unit, to what extent the text corresponds to formal and/or thematic requirements of the official guidelines. At the end of each unit there are suggestions for questions formulated from the author's point of view but which can be modified or replaced according to the needs of the users. Another didactical feature at the end of each unit are quizzes, which refer to the texts and recapitulate some of the key ideas of it. They consist of five questions each, which have to be responded to in a multiple choice approach. Bibliographical notes and references including other internet sources are listed at the end of the units or made clickable.
[Top]
It is important to mention that the VGT is not a textbook in the classical sense but rather an assembled collection of individual texts although structured thematically and regionally. These texts are not necessarily meant to be teaching units but they should serve as a complementary source of information within a given teaching unit. All the text units are embedded in a didactical framework, be it rudimentary that follows a rather standardised structure. A more sophisticated didactical presentation would have limited the use of the VGT given the differences in the educational and teaching systems of the two countries concerned. The didactical components of the units as they are included should, nevertheless, facilitate the practical use of the VGT in the classrooms.
The focus of the VGT project is to prepare geography and/or social science teaching modules on Germany and Canada, which could be taught in their totality or in parts by lecturers and school teachers over a one to four week time period. The modules can also be integrated into university teaching or into special seminars or programs, such as German as a foreign language (Deutsch als Fremdsprache), a world wide supported endeavour of Inter Nationes (Bonn) and the Goethe Institutes all over the world. Universities on both sides of the Atlantic could integrate the texts in various manners in their undergraduate or even graduate work, depending on the specific interests in a given course. They can also be used as an excellent introduction to the respective country by individuals via internet.
A very important didactical component of the VGT is their availability in three languages: English, French, and German. This was not only done in order to match the given language situation in the countries concerned but to open possibilities for using the VGT in bilingual and/or even trilingual teaching. It should be mentioned though that the translations of the texts does not always respect professional 'word by word' standards but follows the concept of translating the basic ideas and means of the texts. They nevertheless are very close to each other. The three language versions should help to use the VGT interactively between different countries, even beyond the two that are treated with in the texts. Chat groups could be organised across the Atlantic between individuals and/or classrooms discussing the topics in the language desired. But the texts are also ideally usable in schools where language immersion is being practised. It is planned to develop more detailed concepts of how to use the VGT in bilingual teaching. They will be accessible through our web site in the near future.
[Top]
Accessibility to the VGT is provided from a number of sites commonly known to teachers and students. The main bases of the modules are at Wilfrid Laurier University (Waterloo, Ontario, Canada) and at Philipps-Universität (Marburg, Germany) to make sure they can be properly looked after as well as regularly updated. Information and linkages to these sites will also be provided from a large number of places which teachers and students would be familiar with, especially from the Georg Eckert Institute in Braunschweig which is directly connected to many schools through the German federal project Schools to the net (Schule ans Netz - http://www.san-ev.de).
As can be seen from the above, the VGT project was labour and time intensive, but it also was fun. The constant challenge to be creative, to resolve problems which we did not see in the beginning, to improve the texts and the links each time we went through, all this gave us lots of headaches and satisfaction at the same time. All this, however, would not have been possible without the moral support and the financial help of many institutions to which we extend our sincere thanks. Especially we acknowledge major financial contributions from the Georg Eckert Institute for International Textbook Research in Braunschweig, the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in Ottawa (through the Canadian Embassy in Berlin), from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo (Ontario) and from Philipps-Universität in Marburg.
More important, however, will be the support and the assessment by the users all over the world. Their reaction is very much solicited and any contact, comments, critiques, and suggestions will be gratefully welcomed and appreciated. Please contact us any time. Our address is: vgt@gei.de.
[Home
][Top]