Teaching Cartographical Skills in Different Educational Systems of EU - Maps for the Future Children Education and Internet - page 53

out of question. Only map reading and local knowledge are important. In other
countries, e.g. in Hungary there is a new, uniform, two-tier system of secondary
school final examination. Beside the original secondary school final examination,
students can choose a raised level exam which serves as an entry exam to
universities and colleges. One of the most popular optional subjects is geography.
The written exam contains topographic knowledge (15% in medium level, 20% in
raised level—Fig. 4.5 ) and exercises (determining place and height, scales, local
and zone time). To answer test questions, school atlases can be used. Spoken exam
also has cartographic and astronomical topics. The requirements of the exam are:
the use of maps, analysis with the help of atlases. Topographic knowledge is based
on a list issued by the Ministry of National Resources (OKM 2005 ).

4.4 New Media in Education

We can obtain this knowledge in many ways with the help of numberless educa-
tional tools. Schools use great number of traditional means. But nowadays we
can choose from wide range of educational tools taking into consideration the
opportunities of informatics. As internet and especially interactive web pages
are new resources to help our daily lives. Since students today tend to surround
themselves with modern technology, beside simple classroom aids (books, work-
books, visual aids: maps, atlases, globes, foils, slides, etc.) they may increasingly
expect it in the classroom as well. The various digital sources play more and more
important role in the education of geographic and cartographic knowledge.
The numbers of CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs have increased which can be used
successfully for teaching continents, countries and some topics (astronomy, meteo-
rology and topography). The problem is that only a few suit the demand and content
of geography teaching.
Internet is becoming more and more important. The web cartography can also
distinguish different types of maps according to their complexity (Table 4.3 ). We
can find plenty of geographical portals, databases or web pages containing tests,
puzzles, quizzes and blank maps which can be used to prepare for the school lesson
or tests (Fig. 4.6 ). The web cartography can have different roles and advantages in
the geography and cartography education: simple, fast and cheap source in internet;
it ensures a permanent presence all over the world; more effective communication
with its multi-media, interactive and 3D elements; with the popular mapping
service and entertainment components arouse pupil's attention; educational content
in the form of tasks and games; you cannot only read, see, hear, but also try it;
available both at home and at school.
With the new possibilities of the web mapping 2.0 , method and content of
teaching expands and a new quality in teaching and training comes into life.
These websites can be founded on a concept of edutainment (education and
entertainment), which is the method of attractive teaching and learning with
multimedia applications. On the other hand, it can be used to enhance the