‘Hack the map', a digital educational program inspired by Rigas Velestinlis’ Charta of Greece (1796–1797)

ABSTRACT

Occasioned by the celebration of the 200 years since the outbreak of the Greek Revolution of 1821, Onassis Library, in collaboration with the Cartographic Heritage Archives of General State Archives of Greece and the Department of Geography of Harokopio University, designed a series of four digital workshops to motivate teenagers to bring to life one of the most emblematic maps of the so-called Greek Enlightenment during the eighteenth century and major item of the Greek cartographic heritage: Rigas Velestinlis Charta (map) of Greece (1796–1797). From January to March 2020, four school teams consisting of students 13–17 years old, approached in a creative way the map that inspired the Greek Revolution of 1821, transforming it into a computer game, a digital story, an augmented reality or a virtual reality application. By using innovative mixtures of history, geography, cartography, visual arts and information technology, they managed to expand their knowledge and skills by participating in an entertaining learning process. All participants acknowledged the pedagogical value of this innovative experience, which cultivated a positive attitude towards the learning procedure, enriching the lessons of history and geography, promoting the cartographic cultural heritage through new technology approaches and using valuable digital techniques and tools.

ΑΦΗΡΗΜΕΝΗ

Μϵ αφορμή τον ϵορτασμό των 200 χρόνων από την έναρξη της Ελληνικής Επανάστασης του 1821, η Ωνάσϵιος Βιβλιοθήκη, σϵ συνϵργασία μϵ το Αρχϵίο Χαρτογραφικής Κληρονομιάς των Γϵνικών Αρχϵίων του Κράτους της Ελλάδας και το Τμήμα Γϵωγραφίας του Χαροκοπϵίου Πανϵπιστημίου, σχϵδίασαν μια σϵιρά τϵσσάρων ψηφιακών ϵργαστηρίων μϵ σκοπό να παρακινήσουν ϵφήβους να δώσουν ζωή σϵ έναν από τους πιο ϵμβληματικούς χάρτϵς του Νϵοϵλληνικού Διαφωτισμού κατά τον δέκατο όγδοο αιώνα και σημαντικό τϵκμήριο της της ϵλληνικής χαρτογραφικής κληρονομιάς: τη Χάρτα της Ελλάδος του Ρήγα Βϵλϵστινλή (1796–1797). Από τον Ιανουάριο έως τον Μάρτιο του 2020, τέσσϵρις σχολικές ομάδϵς αποτϵλούμϵνϵς από μαθητές από 13–17 χρονών, προσέγγισαν μϵ δημιουργικό τρόπο το χάρτη που ϵνέπνϵυσϵ την Ελληνική Επανάσταση του 1821, μϵτατρέποντάς τον σϵ τρισδιάστατο βιντϵοπαιχνίδι, σϵ ψηφιακή ιστορία, σϵ ϵφαρμογή ϵπαυξημένης πραγματικότητας ή σϵ ϵφαρμογή ϵικονικής πραγματικότητας. Συνθέτοντας μϵ καινοτόμο τρόπο τα μαθήματα της ιστορίας, της γϵωγραφίας, της χαρτογραφίας, των ϵικαστικών τϵχνών και των νέων τϵχνολογιών της πληροφορικής, κατάφϵραν να ϵπϵκτϵίνουν τις γνώσϵις και τις δϵξιότητές τους συμμϵτέχοντας σϵ μια διασκϵδαστική μαθησιακή διαδικασία. Όλοι οι συμμϵτέχοντϵς αναγνώρισαν την παιδαγωγική αξία αυτής της καινοτόμου ϵμπϵιρίας, η οποία καλλιέργησϵ μια θϵτική στάση απέναντι στη μάθηση, ϵμπλουτίζοντας τα μαθήματα της ιστορίας και της γϵωγραφίας, προωθώντας τη χαρτογραφική πολιτιστική κληρονομιά μέσω νέων τϵχνολογικών προσϵγγίσϵων και πρωτοποριακών ψηφιακών τϵχνικών και ϵργαλϵίων.

ABSTRAITE

A l'occasion de la célébration des 200 ans du début de la révolution Grecque en 1821, la bibliothèque Onassis, en collaboration avec les archives du patrimoine cartographique des archives générales de Grèce et du département de géographie de l'université d'Harokopio, a conçu une série de quatre ateliers numériques pour motiver les adolescents à interagir et à redonner vie à une des plus emblématiques cartes de ce que l'on appelle les Lumières cartographiques et géographiques du XVIIIe siècle et qui est un objet majeur du patrimoine cartographique grecque : la carte de Grèce de Rigas Velestinlis (1796-7), désormais considérée et officiellement proclamée comme un monument du patrimoine national culturel grec. De Janvier à Mars 2020, quatre équipes d'étudiants de 13 à 17 ans, ont abordé de façon créative la carte qui a inspiré la révolution grecque en 1821, en la transformant en un jeu informatique, une histoire numérique, une réalité augmentée ou une application de réalité virtuelle. En utilisant des combinaisons innovantes d'histoire, de géographie, de cartographie, d'arts visuels et de technologie informatique, ils sont parvenus à élargir leur connaissance et leurs compétences en participant à un processus d'apprentissage divertissant. Cette activité éducative a amélioré l'engagement, la collaboration, la communication et la créativité des jeunes. Tous les participants ont reconnu la valeur pédagogique de cette expérience innovante qui a cultivé, dans une large mesure, une attitude positive et un enthousiasme envers le processus d'apprentissage et qui a enrichi les leçons d'histoire et de géographie en promouvant le patrimoine culturel cartographique à travers des nouvelles technologies et en utilisant des techniques et outils de qualité qui leur permettent une approche plus approfondie sur des sujets de recherche relatifs à l'analyse cartographique des cartes anciennes.

KEYWORDS:

• Rigas Velestinlis’ Charta (map) of Greece
• VR & AR reality apps
• 3D Games
• Digital Storytelling
• cartographic cultural heritage

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Only 59 copies out of 1220 copies originally printed in Vienna 1797 have survived worldwide, in major Libraries, Archives and private collections. Among them, the well preserved copy of Onassis Library (Pazarli, 2014).

2 The educational material contains the following: selected bibliography, digital material from the Onassis Library and the Onassis Channel, technical guidelines, proposed scenarios on the content of Rigas’ Charta, history of cartography material, best practices on the creation of historical documentaries, guidelines on intellectual property rights and the use of digital material available on the web.

3 Onassis Library has also been organizing OBL activities for visual thinking through art (e.g. Onassis Library Realities Lab) in order to engage visitors with library exhibits and prompt students to explore paintings, sculptures and artworks through new technology applications.

4 The Greek War of Independence lasted from 21 February 1821 to 12 September 1829 and the establishment of the First Hellenic Republic occurred in 1832.

5 Based on previous representations, T.C. Lotter, Plan von Costantinopel, mit der umliegenden Gegendm und des Canals vom Schwarzen Meer … , Augusta 1770, Aubert and Tardieu, Plan du Sérail, 1785, Choiseul Gouffier, Voyage pittoresque en Grèce. See Tolias (2009), Ubicini (1881).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Onassis Foundation.

Notes on contributors

Maria Pazarli

Maria Pazarli has been working in the General State Archives of Greece – Cartographic Heritage Archives, www.maplibrary.gr (f. Hellenic National Centre for Maps and Cartographic Heritage – National Map Library), since 2000. In this frame, she participates in the development and management of the Archive’s digital map library, organizing educational programs for students, as well as lectures and seminars addressed to in-service teachers and adults, caring out cartographic research in topics like cartographic and archival heritage, geometric and thematic analysis of map content, comparative studies of historic maps, Mount Athos Cartography, Maps in Education, Maps and Art. She also participates as curator in organizing the Archive’s map exhibitions, publications, educational programs and other cartographic activities in collaboration with major institutions in Greece and abroad.

Kostas Diamantis

Kostas Diamantis works at the Onassis Foundation as a Software & Media Administrator, with responsibilities ranging from the production of the live streaming broadcasts of Onassis Foundation’s Stegi events, to the administration and supervision of its digital multimedia systems as well as the management of the cultural media archive. With studies in Art, Visual Communication and Digital Media and a Master’s degree in 3D Computer Animation at the University of Bournemouth, several years of work experience were accumulated having lived and worked in the UK. He speaks fluently English, French and native Greek. He has great experience in the production of interactive multimedia works, cultural heritage applications, video games, artistic installations and projects in the field of advertising, including major collaborations with clients such as Samsung and the BBC. He was involved in designing and producing digital courses such as ‘Hack the Map’ 2019/2020 and 2020/2021, as well as participating as a tutor for classes such as the VR/AR educational workshops of the Onassis library, “Kavafis goes to school” etc., teaching digital visualization techniques, real-time graphics, the development of interactive digital content and generally the utilization of digital technologies for artistic creation and education. Finally, he has participated in seminars, conferences of various institutions as a speaker, exhibitions and publications relating to artistic creation utilizing emerging technologies.

Vasiliki Gerontopoulou

Vasiliki Gerontopoulou has been working at the Onassis Foundation since 2009 as a project manager and digital programs coordinator. In 2014 she was appointed Head of the Onassis Library (www.onassislibrary.gr). She has previously worked as a business consultant, scientific advisor and as an independent expert in various companies, research centers and academic institutions of the private and public sector. She has an extensive experience in planning and coordinating of cultural events as well as in the implementation of European research programs and digital projects. She has graduated from the Department of History and Philosophy of Science and Technology of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and holds a Master's degree in History of Science and Technology from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and the National Technical University of Athens. Her research interests focus on the process of reception and dissemination of new scientific ideas by the Greek Scholars of the Modern Greek Enlightenment during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.