Current Topics In Czech And Central European Geography Education

This book discusses current challenges related to teaching geography, mainly at the secondary school and higher education level. Focusing on a range of current topics, different methods, techniques, materials, applications, and approaches to geography education with a regional Central European perspective, the book makes an original contribution to the field. Most of the chapters aims at the practical development of the themes such as geography curriculum (Part I), global education, inquiry-based education, project-based learning, case studies, powerful teaching (Part II), using of information and communication technologies (Part III) in geography teaching. The final part (Part IV) covers some geopolitical, and socio-geographical aspects of the aforementioned Central European former communist countries from the point of view how to teach them with various methods. Therefore, the book can appeal to many geography or science students, researchers and educators studying geography education around the world.

In questo numero: Chew-Hung Chang, Muhammad Faisal Aman, The International Charter on Geographical Education – a reflection on published research articles on Assessment Daniela Pasquinelli d’Allegra, Proposals for the development of competences in geography by applying the IGU International Charter Wiktor Osuch, Geography in the reformed educational system in Poland ‒ return to the past or a brand new quality? Enrico Squarcina, Valeria Pecorelli, Ocean citizenship. The time to adopt a useful concept for environmental teaching and citizenship education is now Margherita Cisani, High school commuters. Sustainability education on students’ mobility behaviours and perceptions of their everyday landscape The language of images (Edited by Elisa Bignante and Marco Maggioli) Elisa Bruttomesso, Jordi Vic, Intentional Camera Movement: A Multisensory and Mobile Photographic Technique to Investigate the Urban Tourism Experience Mapping societies (Edited by Edoardo Boria) Matteo Proto, Irredenta on the map: Cesare Battisti and Trentino-Alto Adige cartographies Geographical notes and (practical) considerations Emanuela Gamberoni, Challenges of Geography in Education. Proposals from the EUROGEO Conference (Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2-3 March 2017)

Human factors play a critical role in the design and interpretation of remotely sensed imagery for all Earth sciences. Remote Sensing and Cognition: Human Factors in Image Interpretation brings together current topics widely recognized and addressed regarding human cognition in geographic imagery, especially remote sensing imagery with complex data. It addresses themes around expertise including methods for knowledge elicitation and modeling of expertise, the effects of different aspects of realism on the interpretation of the environment, spatial learning using imagery, the effect of visual perspective on interpretation, and a variety of technologies and methods for utilizing knowledge in the analysis of remote sensing imagery. Written by leaders in the field, this book provides answers to the host of questions raised at the nexus of psychology and remote sensing. Academics and researchers with an interest in the human issues surrounding the use of remote sensing data will find this book to be an invaluable resource. The topics covered in this book are useful for both the scientific analysis of remote sensing imagery as well as the design and display of remote sensing imagery to facilitate a variety of other tasks including education and wayfinding. Features Brings together remote sensing, environmental, and computer scientists discussing their work from a psychological or human factors perspective Answers questions related to aesthetics of scientific visualization and mathematical analysis of perceptible objects Explains the perception and interpretation of realistic representations Provides illustrative real-world examples Shows how the features of display symbols, elements, and patterns have clear effects on processes of perception and visual search

This book identifies, diagnoses and evaluates social and economic processes taking place in the rural areas of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) states in the last 25 years and affecting the immediate future, with a particular focus on their spatial diversity. It addresses questions related to the rationality of the current development policy and possible results in the future. Contemporary processes of socio-economic development are typified by the fact that spatial and regional disparities are tending to increase. This unfavourable phenomenon manifested both in society and in terms of polarised space needs to be counteracted using an effective development policy. The book highlights issues concerning demography, functional structure and non-agricultural activity, and identifies new challenges arising from membership of the European Union (EU). Accession to the EU and the opportunity to implement support measures has further increased the dynamism of transformation – a process that proceeded under various scenarios and different regulations and assumptions that have yet to be identified and evaluated. Furthermore, the current internal policies of individual CEE states concerning rural areas are diverse and likely to affect differential future development. The book is based on the knowledge and experience of scientists from countries in the region investigated, who have the best understanding of the subject matter and have observed the transformations. It is intended for researchers exploring the development of the countryside and practitioners dealing with regional and national development policies targeting rural areas.

In this new edition, the progress made in the last decade to solve the environmental problems described in the first edition is assessed. The attempts to bring environmental legislation into line with West European norms is also described. Environmental Problems of East-Central Europe looks at air and water pollution, modern farming, water supplies, waste management and landscape protection. These topics are placed within economic, social and political profiles, as spending on a clean environment must be reconciled with welfare spending and the safeguarding of jobs, European Union assistance, civil society and the work of environmental NGOs are also discussed. All of these matters are considered within the context of the wider geographical area and then by each individual country, including the previously communist states lying to the west of the Soviet Union (now with the former federal states of Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia broken up into seven different entities) and a review of the former Soviet Union with particular reference to the Baltic States. Environmental Problems in East-Central Europe provides a wealth of up-to-date reference material, with a vast amount of supporting literature on environmental conditions and the functioning of civil society and a map of each country. The environment is being taken seriously by them all, such is the influence of the Rio sustainability agenda in general and the EU environmental 'acquis' in particular. The book reveals that Eastern Europe is not a blighted area, but in some respects has a higher biodiversity than Western Europe. Although there is enormous waste and inefficiency in energy use, people actually consume relatively little and the East therefore has some lessons for the West in terms of managing on the bases of 'fair share' of the earth's resources.

This book presents multidimensional socio-economic transformations taking place in the post-socialist cities located in selected countries of the Central European region. The analysis includes case studies from the Eastern part of Germany (Chemnitz, Leipzig), Poland (Łódź, Kielce, Katowice conurbation, and peripheral urban centres from Eastern Poland), Slovakia (Bratislava, Nitra), the Czech Republic (Olomouc, Brno), and from Hungary (Pécs). The analysed urban areas have undergone far-reaching political and socio-economic changes in the last 30 years. These changes began with the collapse of communism and the centrally planned economy system in the region of Central Europe. The beginning of this period, often referred to as post-socialist transformation, dates back to 1989. The consequence of the aforementioned political processes was the multifaceted socio-economic and demographic changes that significantly affected urban areas in Central Europe. This book presents an attempt to summarize the main long-term processes of changes taking place in these urban areas and to identify contemporary and future trends in their socio-economic development. The book will be valuable to undergraduate and postgraduate students in human geography, urban studies, economy, and city marketing, especially with an interest in Central Europe.

Although the content of historical geography may be viewed from different perspectives, there is no doubt that historical geography has interdisciplinary character. The publication represents an outcome of cooperation among geographers and historians within the Historical Geography Research Centre that continues more than forty years old tradition of common researches in Czechia. Beside discussing the disciplinary origins, the most vital research topics of present Czech historical geography are reflected in its contents - transformations of landscapes, historical towns, and of regions.

The Human Geography of East Central Europe examines the geography of the transition economies that were not formerly part of the Soviet Union: Albania, Bosnia & Hercegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, The Czech Republic, Hungary, Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Yugoslavia and East Germany. There is a thematic treatment beginning with the landscape and historical background, which moves on to the social and economic geography (industry, agriculture and infrastructure) and to issues concerning regional development and environmental protection.