The application of geographic information systems in schools around the world: a retrospective analysis

TL;DR

This paper reviews the historical integration of geographic information systems (GIS) into school curricula worldwide, highlighting developmental stages, key contributors, and the evolution of GIS educational applications over time.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive retrospective analysis of the stages and global spread of GIS in school geography education, based on scientific literature review.

Findings

Four distinct stages of GIS integration in schools identified

GIS educational programs expanded globally from the 1990s onwards

Advantages and disadvantages of GIS in school geography discussed

Abstract

The article is devoted to the problem of incorporation geographic information systems (GIS) in world school practice. The authors single out the stages of GIS application in school geographical education based on the retrospective analysis of the scientific literature. The first stage (late 70s - early 90s of the 20th century) is the beginning of the first educational GIS programs and partnership agreements between schools and universities. The second stage (mid 90s of the 20th century - the beginning of the 21st century) comprises the distribution of GIS-educational programs in European and Australian schools with the involvement of leading developers of GIS-packages (ESRI, Intergraph, MapInfo Corp., etc.). The third stage (2005-2012) marks the spread of the GIS school education in Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America; on the fourth stage (from 2012 to the present) geographic information systems emerge in school curricula in most countries. The haracteristics of the GIS-technologies development stages are given considering the GIS didactic possibilities for the study of school geography, as well as highlighting their advantages and disadvantages.