Digital Story Mapping to Advance Educational Atlas Design and Enable Student Engagement

Abstract

Abstract:Storytelling is recognized as a valid and important method of communicating information and knowledge gleaned from volumes of ever-accumulating data. Practices of data-driven storytelling in journalism and geovisual analytics have contributed to the development of geovisual stories; also called story maps. The benefits of student-focused multi-thematic atlases and digital storytelling methods in education can also be realized in story maps. An online, interactive version of the original paper version of the Wyoming Student Atlas was developed using story mapping technology. Studies on best practices for data-driven storytelling and web map interaction were used to inform the transition of the atlas from a traditional paper format to a collection of story maps. Evaluation of the atlas story maps for educational purposes was conducted by observing students from multiple classrooms as they used the story maps in a lesson. The students and educators responded to a survey after using the story maps. Results of the survey show positive responses to the atlas story maps, including ease of use and preference over a traditional paper atlas. However, certain types of interaction with the map resulted in increased negative or uncertain responses from students concerning their perception of the atlas story maps.

Teaching tourism: urban routes design using GIS Story Map

“…The latter are a storytelling technique and are essential in the construction of stories, accompanied by interactive maps and graphic contributions (Strachan & Mitchell, 2014;De Lázaro, Borderías & Morales, 2020). These are more and more frequent for the creation of personalised, collaborative and even interactive atlases, such as those presented by Strachan & Mitchell (2014), De Miguel, Buzo & De Lázaro (2016) or Berendsen, Hamerlinck & Webster (2018), among others.…”

“…The maps, the texts and all the graphic support that can be included allow working both narrative and cartographic skills, linked not only to their preparation, but also to their interpretation and critical analysis (Dickinson & Telford, 2020). Therefore, the atlases created with GSM have a dual function in teaching: on one hand, they are used like traditional atlases, since they are a compendium of information represented essentially with maps that allow the interpretation of a spatial phenomenon and, on the other hand, they are a didactic tool in and of itself, which allows the elaboration and updating of thematic cartography and the preparation of the dissertation (Marta & Osso, 2015;Berendsen, et al, 2018).…”

“…They have specifically used the resources offered by the National Geographic Institute (the app "GPS Mapas de España" and the Iberpix geovisor) which are free, good quality and easy to handle. In addition to this, the GIS Cloud offered by Esri (ArcGIS Online and Story Map) has been used since it is free and it doesn't require a high level of computer savvy (Kerski, 2019) and also because it allows students to upload data, make maps and integrate them in an ordered format with accompanying text, photographs or graphics; likewise, the diversity of accessible templates for it makes available an extensive range of different options and layouts, such as timelines (Berendsen, et al, 2018). The creation of the route begins with the choice of the theme, which has to take into consideration the city' s resources and, in addition to being innovative and attractive, it must adapt to a strategy that involves selecting which part of the city wants to be shown.…”

Storylines for practice: a visual storytelling approach to strengthen the science-practice interface

“…In the Internet era, researchers increasingly communicate their work by combining short texts with appealing and (interactive) visuals (Figueiras 2014). Attention to visual storytelling and data visualization is growing in environmental communication to, for example, represent changes over time and space to multiple audiences, such as management actors (Herring et al 2017;Stephens et al 2014), students (Berendsen et al 2018;Cope et al 2018), and the public (Bednarek and Caple 2010;Cairo 2013). In turn science communication involves conceptual challenges to define the necessary approach for a given audience (Jones and Crow 2017).…”

Creating a Story Map Using Geographic Information Systems to Explore Geomorphology and History of Methana Peninsula

“…It presents a geovisual story that connects visual snapshots, with textual metadata for further explanation and identification of important results extracted with geovisual analysis. It is also recognized in the field of geovisualization, that the ability to look at data from different perspectives, such as alternative map views in combination with diagrams, graphs, photographs, and videos, can facilitate the transformation of data into information and ultimately into knowledge [11,12]. For example, an Ocean Story Map is a web-based tool to demonstrate the ocean content and to spread important information about the ocean environment [13].…”