A Journey to the Ancient Greek Myths An Enhanced Educational Framework to Story-Telling with Geo-Visualization Capabilities Emmanuel Stefanakis Department of Geography Harokopio University of Athens [email_address] First International Workshop on Story-Telling and Educational Games (STEG'08) The power of narration and imagination in technology enhanced learning. (September 16, 2008, Maastricht, The Netherlands)

The Scope A prototype educational framework for… modeling, analyzing, and visualizing … the Ancient Greek Mythology Visualize the Myth events in the geographical space and time

A prototype educational framework for…

modeling,

analyzing, and

visualizing

… the Ancient Greek Mythology

Visualize the Myth events in the geographical space and time

Special Issues… The Myths … involve… many heroes, characters and gods and consist of… numerous parallel events

The Myths …

involve…

many heroes, characters and gods and

consist of…

numerous parallel events

Special Issues… The events… occur in the geographical space and, although the absolute time is missing , they are related to each other … by temporal (topological) relations , inside a single myth or across myths.

The events…

occur in the geographical space and,

although the absolute time is missing ,

they are related to each other …

by temporal (topological) relations ,

inside a single myth or across myths.

Data/Info Sources… Ancient Myths … as they appear in the official school book (Greek Ministry of Education) follow the same organization/ structure

Ancient Myths …

as they appear in the official school book (Greek Ministry of Education)

follow the same organization/ structure

Motivation… Pupils … cannot easily perceive the geographical space School books … are missing maps and other geovisualization content

Pupils …

cannot easily perceive the geographical space

School books …

are missing maps and

other geovisualization content

Motivation… The prototype … aspires to help … school pupils general users … in getting a clear geo-spatial perception of the mythology events

The prototype …

aspires to help …

school pupils

general users

… in getting a clear geo-spatial perception of the mythology events

Motivation… The prototype can be easily customized to present other historical or religious content taught in the primary or secondary education Obviously, special attention to be given in the educational aspects close interaction with experts

The prototype

can be easily customized to present

other historical or religious content

taught in the primary or secondary education

Obviously, special attention

to be given in the educational aspects

close interaction with experts

Motivation… The main concerns are … making the presentation of the myths attractive and pleasant to the pupils helping them recognize the geographical space, focusing on the physical geography and encouraging them interrelate the past with the present infrastructures compiling attractive and educational quizzes and game scenarios to help pupils understand the myths and recognize their interactions and relations in space and time

The main concerns are …

making the presentation of the myths

attractive and pleasant to the pupils

helping them recognize the geographical space,

focusing on the physical geography and

encouraging them interrelate the past with the present infrastructures

compiling

attractive and educational quizzes and

game scenarios

to help pupils understand the myths and recognize their interactions and relations in space and time

The tools… The prototype… has been developped using merely free and open source s/w and tools Web Client Interface … PostgreSQL/PostGIS XML tools (XSD, XSL, CSS, etc.) Google Maps Google Maps API / Javascripts the full Google Maps can be embedded on an external Web site (mashups)

The prototype…

has been developped using merely

free and open source s/w and tools

Web Client Interface …

PostgreSQL/PostGIS

XML tools (XSD, XSL, CSS, etc.)

Google Maps

Google Maps API / Javascripts

the full Google Maps can be embedded on an external Web site (mashups)

The Data Repository… PostgreSQL/PostGIS… Mythology Myths Myth Sections Events PostgreSQL/PostGIS Database School book geographic + temporal

PostgreSQL/PostGIS…

Mythology

Myths

Myth Sections

Events

The UML Diagram (part of)

Towards the Geo-Visualization… Overall Architecture/Workflow… PostgreSQL/PostGIS Database School book XML Doc XML Doc GoogleMaps API XSL Web Client Application HTML + Javascripts geographic + temporal event description (thematic)

Overall Architecture/Workflow…

Towards the Geo-Visualization… XML docs… Description of events and images

XML docs…

Description of events and images

Towards the Geo-Visualization… XML docs… Placemarks and trip (sequence of events)

XML docs…

Placemarks and trip (sequence of events)

Example: The birth of Hercules… DEMO

Open Issues (technical)… Google Maps API is relatively slow … Optimization of the javascript code… to minimize the access to the Web Server and the Google Server Alternative Web Client Application… based on OpenLayers Javascript Library

Google Maps API is relatively slow …

Optimization of the javascript code…

to minimize the access to the Web Server and the Google Server

Alternative Web Client Application…

based on OpenLayers Javascript Library

Heraklion SDI The Web Client Application …

The Web Client Application …

Open Issues (educational)… Why Google Maps ? because they are available and easy to use for free ! But… We see the earth as it is today This is not a problem for small scales It is a problem for large scales though ! On the way to Mycenae Hercules passed near my place  Must incorporate as an optional background a digital map of the greek mythology

Why Google Maps ?

because they are available and easy to use for free !

But…

We see the earth as it is today

This is not a problem for small scales

It is a problem for large scales though !

On the way to Mycenae Hercules passed near my place 

Must incorporate as an optional background a digital map of the greek mythology

Open Issues (educational)… Enrich the content … with multimedia items , such as sound and videos overlay of diagrams, 2-d and 3-D maquettes and plans of the archaeological places on top of Google Maps development of quizzes and game scenarios for pupils to both test and assist their understanding/ knowledge; translation of the content in other languages (e.g., English, German, Spanish, etc.). DEMO

Enrich the content …

with multimedia items , such as sound and videos

overlay of diagrams, 2-d and 3-D maquettes and plans of the archaeological places on top of Google Maps

development of quizzes and game scenarios for pupils to both test and assist their understanding/ knowledge;

translation of the content in other languages (e.g., English, German, Spanish, etc.).

A Journey to the Ancient Greek Myths An Enhanced Educational Framework to Story-Telling with Geo-Visualization Capabilities Emmanuel Stefanakis Department of Geography Harokopio University of Athens [email_address] First International Workshop on Story-Telling and Educational Games (STEG'08) The power of narration and imagination in technology enhanced learning. (September 16, 2008, Maastricht, The Netherlands) Thank you !