https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5416-0056
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ABSTRACT
Several factors influence the global-scale cognitive map. The use of school books, atlases and web maps all play an essential role in the development of geographical knowledge of adolescents. This research examines the impact of the educational system versus web maps on the adolescents’ mental map. Through a specially designed web application, university students and secondary school pupils estimated the real proportion of countries and continents compared to Europe. Participants with a more theoretical background or wider knowledge about map projections and its distortions estimated the real proportions more accurately. This research also found that the Robinson projection, commonly used in schoolbooks and atlases, is the best-known map projection among adolescents. However, the influence of web maps could not be proven since no Mercator effect was found. Education is of undeniable importance, and therefore, educational materials that encourage people to look more carefully and critically at maps should be further developed.
Acknowledgements
This research has benefitted from a statistical consult with Ghent University FIRE (Fostering Innovative Research based on Evidence).
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Notes on the Contributor
Lieselot Lapon started her PhD-research in 2015. Her research focuses on the accuracy of mental maps. With user studies she investigates the influence of the use of web maps, educational materials and (social) media on our global-scale cognitive map. Before starting her PhD research, Lieselot has been working as a scientific employee. In 2011 she started working at the department by designing school atlases. Afterwards she developed educational materials for courses geography at secondary schools (GeoMobiel) and she undertook research about the usability of satellite images to detect climate change effects in the Caribbean.
Notes
1 From August 2018 onward, Google Maps changed its map projection for its navigation tool. Today, the global view on a desktop or laptop shows an orthographic projection, which simulates a globe instead of a Web Mercator projection. This adjustment was launched after this study was completed.