Learning about humankind’s journeys. Some didactic experiences about space travel with primary schools

Abstract

In year 2023, the Gruppo di Lavoro Interdisciplinare per le Sperimentazioni sulla Didattica Innovativa was established at the European University of Rome. The group is composed primarily of pedagogists and geographers connected to GREAL (Geographic Research and Application Laboratory). In its first project, the group evaluated new methods and modern geotechnologies for teaching pivotal concepts in the historical evolution of human travel and exploration. The project was constructed around two conceptual lines: teaching the fundamentals of orientation, mapping and navigation on the one hand, and of transport-systems and life-support technologies on the other. These lines will serve as a basis for organizing didactic activities about various forms of human travel through different historical periods and different environments, i.e. land, sea, air and space. In this initial phase, the workgroup did not delve deeply into monitoring pedagogic outcomes; it focused instead on the design and practical delivery of a first block of innovative learning experiences for primary schools, concerning space travel and exploration. The laboratories were conducted using traditional geography teaching methodologies, albeit “augmented” through the integration of innovative tools, such as virtual reality and simulations. This paper presents the core concept of the workgroup’s didactic purpose in its long-term project and accounts for the initial laboratory activities, proposing reflections on the potential of novel approaches to enhance and fostering geographical learning.