Conveying map finesse: thematic map making essentials for today’s university students

ABSTRACT

Maps have been used for centuries to depict the diverse facets of our environment. Thematic maps depict a specific theme and help in revealing geospatial patterns and relations. The study and practice of map making has led to established cartographic design rules. Ever increasing availability of high-quality geospatial data coupled with continuously changing technologies for map making imply that one has to find the right mix between age-old principles and state-of-the-art technologies and trends when teaching thematic cartography. This paper presents a proposal on how to stimulate the creativity of students’ thematic map making by describing the teaching approach and results of a map assignment for a course presented to a group of postgraduate geoinformatics students. Based on a reflection of the teaching and learning experience and an assessment of the thematic maps produced by the students, recommendations are provided for teaching today’s university students how to create convincing and appealing thematic maps. An infographics summarizes the most important guidelines. Additionally, the student maps, as well as the maps revised by a trained cartographer, are available and can be used by others for teaching.

KEYWORDS:

• Thematic cartography
• multivariate data
• complex analytical maps
• good practice
• infographics design
• skills

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the UP students of the BScHons Geoinformatics programme who participated in the Thematic Cartography course in August 2017 and made this publication possible through their maps and by participating in interviews. Gertrud Schaab is grateful for two visits to the Department of Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology as part of the University of Pretoria’s Visiting Professor Programme.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.