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A Visualization Globe that Allows Children to Explore the Earth

The TellUs project is carried out by a multidisciplinary team consisting of staff from Linköping University and the science center Norrköping Visualization Center C. We develop content and learning activities adapted for pupils in grades 1–6 and work in an outreach-based manner. This means that we bring the globe into children’s classrooms and meet them in their everyday learning environments, creating a close connection between research, teaching, and the children’s own experiences. The globe serves as a shared point of departure for our classroom visits, but our pedagogical approach extends beyond the visit itself. For example, the pupils work on preparatory and follow-up assignments that connect to the visit and ensure the experience is grounded in the classroom and continues to develop there.

Development and Research in Close Proximity to the Target Group

The development of the globe and its content takes place step by step and in close dialogue with students and teachers. Through testing and feedback from schools, we shape the globe’s content and functionality. Working closely with the target group is a central part of the project and crucial to creating learning experiences that connect with what the children are already working on in school. The outreach work also enables us to bring Visualization Center C’s offerings into schools and provide more children with access to the technology and knowledge that are otherwise primarily available at the center.

Peter Holgersson AB

The research within the project focuses on visual learning, visual communication, and creative processes in interdisciplinary projects. We investigate, for example, how technical, pedagogical, and narrative aspects can interact in the design of content and classroom visits. In parallel, we study how students experience their encounter with the globe. Through classroom observations, interviews, and student assignments, we analyze how the globe is used, the kinds of questions children raise, and how visual representations and dialogue can support their exploration.

A National Collaboration

TellUs is part of the national WISDOME initiative, a consortium consisting of Visualization Center C in Norrköping, Curiosum in Umeå, Malmö Museum, Universeum in Gothenburg, and Tekniska in Stockholm. The project is led by Linköping University and Visualization Center C in Norrköping. The other science centers within WISDOME participate by using and testing globes in their activities.