Usage of Satellite Navigation Technologies in Schools Around the World

Igor Kholoshyn

1 a

, Svitlana Mantulenko

1 b

, Olha Bondarenko

1 c

, Olena Hanchuk

1 d

and

Iryna Varfolomyeyeva

1 e

Kryvyi Rih State Pedagogical University, 54 Gagarin Ave., Kryvyi Rih, 50086, Ukraine

Keywords:

GPS, Navigation, Geographic Teaching, GIS.

Abstract:

The study of satellite navigation technologies in educational courses became common at the end of the 20th

and the beginning of the 21st century. The practical use of satellite navigation for educational purposes was

developed in 2000 and is actively used in the educational process in many countries. This problem has be-

come especially relevant in technological progress when global positioning systems accompany people daily.

In school life, satellite navigators are a powerful technical tool that opens new opportunities for learning and

teaching. Satellite navigation provides an opportunity to familiarise students with the concept of coordinates

and teaches them to orient themselves in the area both with the help of a map and compass and a navigator’s

help. In addition, the navigation device is a powerful tool for teaching geography, biology, history, and math-

ematics. It studies wild nature, compiles relief maps, and conducts local history research. Satellite navigation

for game purposes has become widely used in school geographical education in Europe and the USA. Such ed-

ucational and entertaining games include geocaching, geotating, and geographic crowdsourcing. At the same

time, unfortunately, satellite navigation is not used correctly in the Ukrainian school geographic educational

system.

1 INTRODUCTION

The study of satellite navigation technology within

the context of educational courses in schools began in

the late 20th to early 21st centuries. Geoinformation

systems and remote sensing data of the Earth have al-

ready found widespread use in school instruction as

crucial aspects of geoinformatics. The implementa-

tion of satellite navigation was delayed because of its

primary military application. Access to civilian navi-

gation receivers was restricted during this time (civil-

ian use of GPS on USSR territory was outlawed until

1991). Before the year 2000, the US military used a

method to determine coordinates that were not accu-

rate and could result in errors of up to 100 meters.

On May 1, 2000, US President Bill Clinton an-

nounced the termination of the “Selective availabil-

ity” mode. The United States government recognised

GPS as a widely used technology in various indus-

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2174-5605

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5673-0174

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2356-2674

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3866-1133

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0595-524X

tries, ranging from urban emergency services to min-

eral exploration. With the removal of restrictions,

GPS users have signiﬁcantly more accuracy in deter-

mining their geographic locations. That marked the

practical development of satellite navigation’s educa-

tional applications. Given that global positioning sys-

tems have become an essential aspect of professional

activity in various scientiﬁc and economic disciplines,

students must learn this type of geoinformation tech-

nology. As a technical teaching tool, the satellite nav-

igator provides educators with an altogether new level

of training and learning. It allows students to develop

spatial thinking, which is critical for real-world per-

ception (Kholoshyn, 2017).

2 METHODS

There are various examples of using satellite nav-

igation in school classes in the literature today

(Kholoshyn, 2014; Baker and White, 2003; Cooke,

2005; Demirci, 2009; Fang et al., 2007; Gomez, 2013;

Lambrinos and Asiklari, 2014; Zarske et al., 2003).

The authors propose several techniques and strategies

138

Kholoshyn, I., Mantulenko, S., Bondarenko, O., Hanchuk, O. and Varfolomyeyeva, I.

Usage of Satellite Navigation Technologies in Schools Around the World.

DOI: 10.5220/0012648100003737

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on History, Theory and Methodology of Learning (ICHTML 2023), pages 138-147

ISBN: 978-989-758-579-1; ISSN: 2976-0836

for incorporating satellite navigation technology into

the educational process. Effective use of this tech-

nology in school instruction requires understanding

its historical development, advanced pedagogical ex-

perience, and careful consideration of the challenges

during its implementation.

Therefore, in our opinion, it is necessary to study

and analyse the existing experience to promote and

widely implement satellite navigation technologies in

the educational process of modern schools.

Research object: Analyse the existing worldwide

and domestic experience of using satellite navigation

in educational institutions and consider the possibil-

ities of its implementation in the practice of modern

schools.

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Satellite navigation was only taught theoretically in

schools worldwide until the beginning of the 21st cen-

tury. The United States of America was at the fore-

front of this ﬁeld for an extended period. The study

of place is one of the ﬁve essential themes with pri-

ority in the K-12 geography curriculum of the United

States education system, according to the “Guidelines

for Geographic Education” adopted by the Joint Com-

mittee on Geographic Education in the United States

in 1984 (Brooks, 2006). Hill (1989), an American sci-

entist and head of the Center for Geographic Educa-

tion at the University of Colorado, discovered that lo-

cation may be determined at two levels: absolute and

relative. Absolute location involves determining ge-

ographic coordinates (latitude and longitude), while

relative location involves determining an object’s po-

sition relative to other larger or prominent objects. In

this aspect, GPS technologies were initially studied in

schools in the USA.

A complete lesson for teaching satellite navigation

in high school, produced by researchers at the Univer-

sity of Colorado’s Navigation Institute (USA), is an

example of such an approach. The program included

ten standard lessons for students of different ages and

levels of preparation (Zarske et al., 2003). The lessons

were designed for middle school teachers during reg-

ular and extracurricular activities. While analysing

the content of the lessons (table 1), it should be noted

that the program has a general theoretical orientation,

with more than half of the lessons (6 out of 10) ded-

icated to the fundamentals of cartography. In con-

trast, others cover satellite navigation operations and

application principles. Most courses are theoretically

linked but can also be taught individually – students

can select topics based on their interests.

The program’s key feature is its ability to be eas-

ily integrated into the existing curriculum of middle

school education in the United States. While most

planned courses are directed towards 7th-grade stu-

dents, they are equally appropriate for use in younger

and older schools.

Satellite navigation further evolved into a practi-

cal component. Many K-12 standard middle school

teachers in the US educational system have in-

creasingly started using GPS receivers during their

lessons. However, initially, the application of navi-

gators was dominated by a limited technological ap-

proach, where teachers focused solely on teaching

students how to operate these devices during the ses-

sions.

Table 2 show an example of this approach using

GPS navigators in geography classes by Ninno and

Kuhl (2002). The lesson plan analysis indicates that

the lesson’s primary focus is teaching students how to

determine geographical coordinates using the naviga-

tor and ﬁnding points based on known coordinates.

Later, Tim Cresswell’s research improved the sub-

ject of establishing location by satellite navigation in

school geography. Cresswell (2013) illustrated the

importance of broadening educational options for de-

termining the position of various geographical ob-

jects. Determining geographical coordinates should

not be considered as an aim in itself. Moreover,

the prospect of doing extensive research on terri-

tories with precise coordinates should be acknowl-

edged. These can include physical landscapes, natural

resources, cultural qualities of individuals, and so on

(Brooks, 2006).

The statements of Hill (1989) also support the sig-

niﬁcance of this approach: “Geography is not just

about places and names – capitals, countries, and

rivers, but rather an entire science about the signiﬁ-

cance of location.” Only in this way can we transi-

tion from memorising the names of countries, capi-

tals, and other dry ﬁgures and dates to analysing the

relationship between humans and the surrounding en-

vironment.

This detailed territory analysis converts theoreti-

cal knowledge into practical applications. According

to Morgan (2003), a renowned British geographer, en-

hancing spatial literacy contributes to students’ active

life perspectives, develops their practical problem-

solving skills, and opens their eyes to the real world.

The importance of this approach is conﬁrmed by

the conclusions drawn independently by Favier and

van der Schee (2014), Mitchell et al. (2018), Nielsen

et al. (2011), and Osborne et al. (2020). In their

works, the authors provide examples of how pupils

and students using GIS technologies develop skills

Usage of Satellite Navigation Technologies in Schools Around the World

139

Table 1: Lessons of the comprehensive program for studying satellite navigation in middle school (Zarske et al., 2003).

Lesson title Lesson description

Where are we? It contains essential navigation information, such as relative and absolute lo-

cation, latitude, longitude, cardinal directions, and working with a map and

compass.

Becoming a Great Navigator Discusses the history of the development of navigation methods.

Navigation by Numbers Demonstrates the role of mathematics in navigation.

Doing it Right! Discusses faults that limit location accuracy and the function of computers in

navigation.

Topographic Map Mania Provides information on how to read topographic maps and navigate using them

in the terrain.

Reaching the Point The teacher demonstrates how to determine a location using triangulation and

practically shows how to locate objects on a map, in the classroom, and in the

ﬁeld.

On Land, Sea, and Air Shows how navigational techniques expand the possibilities for world travelers

and introduces students to various navigation methods.

Satellite-Speed Navigation Explores the fundamentals of the Global Positioning System (GPS), including

trilateration and the use of the speed of light to determine distances to satellites.

GPS in Motion Discusses the use of GPS receivers for determining location coordinates.

Not Lost in Space Describes the movements of planets and spacecraft in Earth’s orbits, which are

used in navigation.

and abilities in solving problem-based tasks related

to situations that may arise in real life. Learning

based on these technologies encourages independent

problem-solving or self-inquiry, which is considered

a challenge in geography education (Piotrowska et al.,

2019).

As Cooke (2005) rightly pointed out, “Instead of

trying to ﬁt GPS and GIS into the curriculum, simply

present them as technologies that need to be learned

alongside text processing, spreadsheets, the internet,

digital photography, or video editing”. Gomez (2013)

shares a similar viewpoint, emphasising that educa-

tors should not teach students 21st-century skills but

rather use 21st-century skills in the teaching process.

In other words, teachers should focus on something

other than teaching students how to use a navigator

but actively employ its functional capabilities in the

educational process.

For example, Broda and Baxter’s research demon-

strated how GPS devices can be employed in the

classroom to create an atmosphere where students ac-

tively investigate their surroundings (Broda and Bax-

ter, 2003).

Navigation devices, utilising the motivational pos-

sibilities provided by this technology, disrupt the

monotony of everyday classroom learning, promote

the use of critical thinking skills in students, and en-

hance their understanding of geographical concepts

(Bednarz et al., 2006).

As a result, despite the navigator’s association

with geographical tools, many teachers in related sub-

jects have actively begun to use it in their classes. His-

torians, biologists, physicists, and mathematicians are

among those included.

For instance, Baker (2001) shows how a naviga-

tion receiver may become a valuable ally for geogra-

phy, biology, mathematics, and history professors un-

dertaking scientiﬁc studies in various areas. The au-

thor demonstrates how Minnesota students use satel-

lite navigation to investigate wildlife, research Civil

War history, record student movements on the school-

home route, and much more.

Overall, the geographical component of using

satellite navigation is actively employed by modern

educators. For example, Lambrinos and Asiklari

(2014) from the Center for Advanced Digital Earth

Experience utilised GPS technologies in extracurricu-

lar geographical research projects with students from

grades 4 to 6. The tasks assigned to the students in-

cluded determining the coordinates of historical ob-

jects using a navigator and plotting them on a paper

map at a scale of 1:20000. This allowed students

to become familiar with the concept of coordinates,

learn how to orient themselves in the terrain using

both a map and a compass, as well as understand the

principles of global positioning systems. The project

resulted in a paper map of the region constructed by

the students and a GIS project of positioning histor-

ical objects in the ArcGIS environment (Lambrinos

and Asiklari, 2014). The use of satellite navigation

technologies allows students to be involved in solv-

ing real-world problems in an integrative and excit-

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Table 2: Lesson plan: GPS navigation and map reading (Hill, 1989; Ninno and Kuhl, 2002).

Lesson content Student actions Teacher actions

Materials for

the lesson

Introduction by

the teacher

Listen to the teacher Explains the purpose and content of

the lesson

Presentation

slides in MS

PowerPoint

What is GPS and

its role in GIS

Listen to the teacher Explains the basics of GPS and GIS,

their relationship, and applications

Presentation

slides in MS

PowerPoint

Critical functions

of GPS Way-

points

Listen to the teacher Describes the main operations with

the Garmin navigator

Presentation

slides in MS

PowerPoint.

Garmin navigator

Navigation

actions Way-

point Creation

Function. Deter-

mination of the

Waypoint Name.

Navigation to

the Waypoint

using the “Goto”

Function.

Navigation to the Waypoint is using

the “Goto” Function.

1. Students follow individual di-

rections.

2. They determine a waypoint and

give it a name.

3. Using the “Goto” function, they

navigate to the waypoint.

4. After reaching the waypoint,

they return to the base.

1. Provides instructions for the

navigation task decision.

2. Teacher 1 stays at the base.

3. Other teachers accompany stu-

dents and ensure compliance

with safety rules.

4. Monitors the recording of way-

points.

Garmin navigator.

Information cards

Putting GPS

points on the

map

1. Listen to the teacher.

2. Put the waypoints on the map.

1. Check the correctness of the

waypoint.

2. In case of incorrect execution of

the task, achieve its repetition.

Printed maps

Navigation ac-

tions 2

Create a waypoint

with coordinates

from the map.

Navigate to a

waypoint using

the “Goto” func-

tion.

1. Determine and write out the co-

ordinates of an object from the

map.

2. Enter the waypoint in the navi-

gator.

3. Using the “Goto” function, go to

the speciﬁed waypoint

4. Deﬁne the waypoint in the navi-

gator.

5. Zoom in and estimate the dif-

ference between the positions of

the speciﬁed points.

1. Check the correctness of the co-

ordinates.

2. Teacher 1 is at the base.

3. Other teachers accompany stu-

dents and monitor compliance

with safety rules.

4. Explains possible reasons for

the discrepancy between the

waypoints.

Garmin navigator.

Information

cards.

Printed maps

Quizzes Listen to and discuss the results of

the lesson with the teacher

Discusses the results of the practical

part

Part of the presen-

tation in MS Pow-

erPoint

ing manner. For example, elementary school stu-

dents in Rochester, New York, USA, gather and geo-

graphically evaluate water quality data (temperature,

pH level, dissolved oxygen and phosphate levels, and

other indicators) from rivers ﬂowing into Lake On-

tario using global positioning systems. As a result of

their efforts, they identiﬁed and outlined many con-

tamination zones (Harshman, 2008).

High school students in Syracuse, New York,

USA, actively employ navigators in area geological

research. Other intriguing initiatives include chart-

ing the position of trees on school grounds and pro-

viding speciﬁc information such as species, size, and

projected age. Socioeconomic studies, which include

Usage of Satellite Navigation Technologies in Schools Around the World

141

ﬁnding vacant or abandoned dwellings and monitor-

ing road sections with poor pavement conditions, can

beneﬁt local governments.

Kerski (2003) explained how geography students

might use navigators to calculate the circumference

of the Earth. The activity is simple and informative,

based on calculating the length of one second of lati-

tude.

Harshman’s way of building a local terrain proﬁle

with a navigator is also intriguing. It entails students

using GPS receivers to follow predetermined routes

and determine the absolute elevation of checkpoints

every 5 meters. It is possible to generate a map of the

terrain relief by organising the routes radially from a

central point (Harshman, 2008).

Most educators agree that many programs pro-

duced within the scope of national educational stan-

dards in various nations must effectively teach satel-

lite navigation in traditional classroom formats. As a

result, it is advised to actively participate in extracur-

ricular activities such as optional courses and clubs.

Table 3 provides a brief overview of the recom-

mended tasks for learning GPS navigation in the geo-

graphical elective course in secondary school, accord-

ing to American educators (Baker and White, 2003).

The following key points, embedded by the authors in

the elective program, deserve attention:

• The successful integration of tasks aims to equip

students with theoretical and practical skills in us-

ing GPS receivers at various application levels.

• The ﬁeld component of the training includes

working with the navigator, learning terrain ori-

entation techniques, and conducting an in-depth

investigation of the surrounding area.

• The GPS data is processed using the ArcGIS GIS

program.

We should point out that satellite navigation is al-

ready being used in schools in Africa and Asia with

a low level of economic development despite a need

for more critical technical resources. For example,

Nigerian researchers (Mba et al., 2017) highlighted

the potential of GPS navigation in teaching mathe-

matics and natural sciences, including:

• Creating a map of the school and its surroundings.

• Geocaching.

• Locating various institutions (e.g., examination

centres).

• Determining the elevation of different points in

the area, and more.

Social media and dedicated websites play a vital

role in promoting satellite navigation as an essential

technology in education. Because of the popularity

of these platforms among young people, new enthusi-

asts might be engaged in modern technology knowl-

edge. Amos Gikunda’s Grind GIS website is a beau-

tiful example of educational work since the author of-

fers numerous facets of geographic knowledge gained

by geographic information systems (Grind GIS, 2023)

quickly and unobtrusively. He highlights the beneﬁts

of adopting this technology in teaching by describing

the theoretical and practical features of global posi-

tioning systems, including:

1. Increased study accuracy and reliability, particu-

larly during ﬁeld learning.

2. Visual representation of the acquired results.

3. Inclusion of cutting-edge technologies in the

classroom.

4. Facilitating the learning process’s mobility.

5. Improving students‘ everyday safety.

6. Gamiﬁcation in the classroom.

7. Making inter-disciplinary links.

8. Improving computer literacy, among other things.

Overall, the analysis of methodological studies

(Albion, 2015; Anunti et al., 2020; Osborne et al.,

2020) shows that preliminary training of teachers is

necessary for the effective use of satellite navigation

technologies in the educational process. Thanks to

this, the teacher can develop methods and forms of

implementing geospatial technologies in the learning

process. As an example, we can cite the recommen-

dations given by Ma

sterov

a (2023):

• deal with local problems related to the area around

the school and home as a start that can lead to ob-

serving other areas later;

• involve ﬁeldwork;

• deal with problems relevant to the learner;

• involve group learning;

• involve prior teacher training (e.g., through work-

shops), which is essential;

• acknowledge this teaching is time-consuming;

• involve long-term and frequent inclusion of GSTs

in teaching, which has beneﬁts; and

• involve a choice of web-based tools, as these are

advisable.

The widespread use of gamiﬁcation technologies

is one of the most deﬁning elements of school geogra-

phy in European countries, particularly in the United

States. Satellite navigation has not gone unnoticed

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Table 3: A brief overview of the recommended tasks for learning GPS navigation in the geographical elective course in

secondary school (Baker and White, 2003).

Name of the task Purpose of the task Content of the work

Working with a world map Updating knowledge about

latitude and longitude,

teaching teamwork skills

Working in groups of 3 - 4 students:

They are playing a game to

ﬁnd the most important objects

(cities) using geographic co-

ordinates on the world map.

Introduction to GPS technol-

ogy, map reading, obser-

vation, and data collection

Acquiring practical skills

in using a GPS device

Determining geographic coor-

dinates on the school premises,

locating places speciﬁed by the

teacher using the GPS device.

GPS surveying of the area Learning to conduct sur-

veys of the territory using a

GPS device, observing the

environmental conditions

Based on the geographic coordi-

nates and data obtained with the

GPS device, learning to orient one-

self in the area (in the park zone),

conducting ecological observations

(photography, counting, etc.)

Creating a comprehen-

sive map of the area

Learning to create a map of

the locality based on data

obtained with the GPS de-

vice and eco-geographical

observations using GIS

Analysing data collected in groups

during the GPS survey of the area,

constructing an all-encompassing

map of the park’s territory util-

ising ArcGIS, and assessing the

knowledge gained by students.

by researchers and educators. The emphasis on gam-

iﬁcation surely helps the Global Positioning System

(GPS)’s appeal among students.

One of the most common educational games is

geocaching. Implementing this technology broadens

the educational area beyond the typical classroom.

American scientists and educators have contributed

to creating educational geocaching, including Christie

(2007) and Spencer (2015).

The global development of geocaching has re-

sulted in the emergence of “educational geocaching,”

an innovative method of teaching, playing, and com-

peting. It includes locations of rare plant species

(populations), geological landmarks, natural and cul-

tural monuments, historical sites, and other educa-

tional geocache points. Our knowledge of educational

geocaching helps us to deﬁne its organisational char-

acteristics.

Educators initially hide small caches in convenient

locations such as parks, squares, and school premises

in this game. Students are divided into teams using a

smartphone with a GPS module and a route sheet con-

taining 10-20 waypoint coordinates. Although the co-

ordinates and route sheets are identical for all teams,

they start from different locations, determining their

route and the order of ﬁnding the waypoints.

The game aims to ﬁnd the maximum number of

waypoints and answer the questions hidden at these

points in the shortest possible time. Each found way-

point earns the team 1 point. Additionally, a team can

earn two bonus points by correctly answering one of

the questions. Each waypoint has a ”thematic” ques-

tion, and teams send their answers to the teacher via

SMS, who then determines their correctness.

The educational geocaching questions posed to

participants are divided into four categories:

1. Questions about attention and search activity.

Answers to these questions demand attentiveness

and observation. For example, if an old photo-

graph is attached to the question, determining the

answer to “What in this photo does not correspond

to reality” will necessitate the discovery of objects

that appeared or disappeared in that region.

2. Questions on geography that will test student’s

knowledge. The teacher veriﬁes students’ basic

geographical knowledge in an easy-to-understand

manner. For example, “Identify the type of soil in

the area of the waypoint.”

3. Questions about knowledge of the local area.

Teams search for the answer to “What was here

before?” that assumes that the participants ei-

ther know the history of these places themselves

or ﬁnd out from residents, for example, “Why is

this place called ’Smychka’? Why is the street

called?” and so on.

4. Local measurement questions. The GPS re-

ceiver’s capabilities can be used to get the answers

Usage of Satellite Navigation Technologies in Schools Around the World

143

to these queries. For instance, the “Area Calcula-

tion” feature on the GPS calculates the square’s

area.

Several variables affect how educational geo-

caching is conducted, but the following stand out:

1. Age of students, team composition, and their level

of preparation. The instructor must consider the

participants’ varying ages when selecting the sites

of the caches and creating the questions. The

student’s technical proﬁciency, physical prowess,

and subject understanding should also be consid-

ered when forming teams. Students with lead-

ership experience, skill, and authority should be

chosen to lead teams.

2. Number of participants. Suppose more than 3–4

teams per educator; control over the game’s de-

velopment may be lost.

3. Type and quantity of available GPS receivers. The

number of participating teams is based on the

number of navigators. Each group should prefer-

ably have equivalent equipment to provide equi-

table conditions.

4. Availability of computers and Internet access.

Participants must have unrestricted access to com-

puters and the Internet to appropriately prepare

and process game results.

5. Venue selection. The teacher should carefully se-

lect the area where the game will be played. The

students should be as safe as possible, and at the

same time, it should make it possible to posi-

tion the caches effectively. The teacher should

pay particular attention to the students’ safety dur-

ing the exercises. That includes enforcing rig-

orous geocaching time limits (which include rest

breaks), hiding caches in secure locations, being

in regular mobile contact with groups, setting ge-

ographic boundaries for the game, etc.

6. Season and weather conditions. Since it is an

outdoor activity, the weather dramatically impacts

how it goes. Before conducting geocaching, the

teacher should consider the climatic and meteoro-

logical circumstances.

Indeed, the use of gamiﬁcation technologies in the

educational process with the application of satellite

navigators is not limited to geocaching. For exam-

ple, various games are hosted on the GPSgame web-

site, such as Geodashing Golf, GeoVexilla, GeoDash-

ing, GeoPoker, and others. Despite their diversity, all

these games share a common foundation – the use of

satellite navigation. For instance, Geodashing Golf

is a game where players use GPS receivers to nav-

igate to 18 randomly located waypoints. The result

depends on how accurately and closely the participant

approached each “hole.” The winner is the one who,

like in golf, visited all 18 virtual holes at the closest

distance to them.

Geotagging is another method of using GPS nav-

igators in education that is strongly tied to social me-

dia platforms. It is based on using the GPS coordi-

nates of a location as keywords to identify where a

picture was shot. Each digital snapshot is given a

spatial value and a time value. For instance, the web

service Geobloggers (https://www.ﬂickr.com/groups/

16736639@N00/) combines the digital map fea-

tures of maps.google.com with the capabilities of the

Flickr.com photo service.

Geographic crowdsourcing is a relatively recent

approach to using navigation in education. It en-

tails using students’ collective intelligence to pro-

duce knowledge that has enormous practical value.

An experiment that Google ran in numerous Indian

cities exempliﬁes this. Free GPS navigators were dis-

tributed to the populace, and they were tasked with

noting the whereabouts of every notable landmark

they came across in the city. The object was added to

the map if data from numerous sources was available.

In a short time, comprehensive city maps were made,

showing landmarks, restaurants, government ofﬁces,

and other structures.

GPS drawing is possible by fusing artistic ability,

spatial awareness, and navigational understanding. Its

core involves students following a predetermined path

while using GPS, and their track points create a pre-

cise pattern on the device’s screen. Individual words,

complete sentences, silhouettes of people, animals,

other objects, and more can all be included in the

drawing, which is decided upon by the participants

themselves. Any activity (including walking, run-

ning, skiing, cycling, and driving) can be used to cre-

ate a drawing.

When describing the use of satellite navigation

in Ukraine’s educational system, it should be noted

that the lengthy ban on open access to the naviga-

tion system and the high price of receivers severely

limited the application of this cutting-edge technol-

ogy in domestic and international scientiﬁc, techni-

cal, and educational spheres. Since 2007, there has

been a noticeable increase in interest in satellite nav-

igation, partly due to the introduction of smartphones

with GPS capabilities. Therefore, Satellite receivers

are increasingly used in schools’ teaching and learn-

ing processes.

Involving students, teachers, and working scien-

tists in the international science and education pro-

gram GLOBE (Global et al. to Beneﬁt the En-

vironment), which gained popularity in the early

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144

2000s, was the ﬁrst time GPS navigators were used

in Ukrainian classrooms. Participants in the program

received GPS receivers, the cost of which frequently

exceeded the monthly budget of a tiny rural school.

These receivers were used to identify the coordinates

of locations for undertaking ecological measures and

climate observations. The Astronavigation Consor-

tium of Universities (UNAVCO) provided technical

support and navigator rental services. Participants

of this program learned how to use satellite naviga-

tors, which ultimately stimulated interest in satellite

global positioning technologies among teachers and

students.

Summarising our own experience of using satel-

lite navigation technologies in the practice of modern

schools, we can draw the following conclusions.

The introduction of satellite navigation systems

into the educational process of a modern school can

be achieved by the following steps:

1. Inclusion of satellite navigation technologies in

the curriculum of school geography courses.

2. Development and use of educational situations

and tasks with the use of satellite navigation both

in the classroom and in extracurricular activities

(scientiﬁc picnics, travel lessons, game lessons).

3. Preparation of research projects using navigation

systems.

4. Conducting optional classes and geoinformation

clubs.

The theoretical and practical component of satel-

lite navigation is an integral part of geography

courses: General Geography, Grade 6, Section II

Earth on the Plan and Map; Ukraine in the World: Na-

ture, Population, Section I Geographic Map and Work

with it; Geographic Space of the Earth, Section I Car-

tography and Topography. However, this technology

should not be limited to these courses only; it should

be used as a “cross-cutting” technology throughout

the entire geography course through research tasks

and game technologies using navigation systems.

During classes and practical work in the ﬁeld and

extracurricular activities, students acquire knowledge

about the history of satellite navigation; the structure

of the main types of navigation receivers; acquire the

ability to determine geographical coordinates using

a navigator; solve various applied spatial problems

(ﬁnding objects by coordinates, laying routes, saving

and analysing tracks, etc.)

The tasks for students can be of the following na-

ture:

1. Measuring the Earth’s circumference using a GPS

navigator;

2. Finding objects by geographical coordinates using

a navigator.

To perform the relevant tasks, you can use smart-

phones with navigation applications (My Location –

GPS Coordinates, GPS Coordinates, My GPS Loca-

tion, etc.).

As part of the optional course “Cartography with

the Basics of Topography,” students learn to work

with a digital compass. The digital compass, tied to

a satellite signal, determines which way the navigator

is turned and displays the data on the receiver screen.

In addition to its high accuracy, unlike the magnetic

compass, the compass in a satellite navigator has a

very important practical function – demonstrating a

bearing or course to determine the direction of move-

ment. The compass arrow is a bearing or course indi-

cator of the destination. This function is very useful

in solving various spatial orientation tasks.

When performing a polar survey, the naviga-

tor is used to accurately determine the locations of

points (stations) from which azimuth measurements

are made and their relationship to each other. Hav-

ing recorded the coordinates of the stations and stored

them in the receiver’s memory in klm format, stu-

dents in the classroom can easily visualise them using

the Google Earth geo-service on a computer screen.

Then, using a printer, they print the base of the plan,

on which all the stations are marked in compliance

with all cartographic requirements. Later on, all the

results of angular and linear measurements are plot-

ted on this base.

Satellite navigation is actively used in various the-

matic and scientiﬁc studies that require determining

the exact location of research points. To improve

the quality of student research, navigators should be

used in regional hydrological and geological studies

and socio-economic studies, such as mapping dilapi-

dated buildings, ﬁxing road sections with poor pave-

ment conditions, etc. Also, navigators and navigation

maps are essential attributes of various local history

and tourist educational excursions.

Thus, satellite navigation technologies have sig-

niﬁcant didactic potential in the study of geography

and the development of key competencies of primary

and secondary schools and contribute to the develop-

ment of intellectual abilities, spatial thinking, and a

holistic view of the world around us.

4 CONCLUSIONS

The conducted research allows us to draw the follow-

ing conclusions:

Usage of Satellite Navigation Technologies in Schools Around the World

145

1. Satellite navigation is quite actively used in the

educational process in many countries of the

world, and domestic education system has signif-

icant didactic potential but requires a systematic

and well-founded methodological approach to this

process.

2. Introducing satellite navigation technologies in

world education is based on a research approach.

Hence, using existing experience in introducing

satellite navigation into school education is the

key to obtaining the best pedagogical result.

3. Satellite navigation is most successful in countries

with a comprehensive GIS education approach.

4. We see further development of scientiﬁc research

in developing an educational and methodological

complex for introducing satellite navigation tech-

nology into the school educational process based

on the analysis of world and domestic experience.

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