GOOGLE EARTH E MAPAS DIGITAIS: LIMITES E POSSIBILIDADES NA EDUCAÇÃO GEOGRÁFICA

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the use of digital educational resources (DERs) and digital maps in Geography classes in Basic Education. The experimental classes took place between August and October 2023 with two classes of sixth-grade students at a state school in a city in the interior of the state of Mato Grosso. The research aimed to analyze the limits and possibilities of Google Earth and digital maps for studying the landscape of the students' living space, as well as to assess the potential of these DERs in terms of student engagement and the contributions they offer to improving the cognitive learning of geographic content. From this perspective, we seek answers to the following question: What are the limits and possibilities of using Google Earth and digital maps for studying the landscape of the students' living space? How can these DERs contribute to student engagement in class and, simultaneously, promote geographic education committed to the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of the landscape of their living space? Methodologically, we sought reflections and support from authors who address the geography teaching-learning process and emphasize students' interest in geographic content. The steps followed were observation, problematization, and experimentation. The results demonstrate that these REDs led to considerable improvements in engagement, interest, and attention in class. Furthermore, we identified possibilities and limitations in the use of these important tools for geography teaching.