Dynamic Maps’ Use in Smart-Cities Learning Contexts

Abstract

This paper examines the potentialities and characteristics of dynamic maps in relationship with constructivist teaching, by considering maps’ support to four functions: the contents’ learning, the contextualization of Learning Objects, the contextualization of online learning interaction and the knowledge construction. Several algorithms for polymorphic and animated maps’ reconstruction, both bi-dimensional and tridimensional, will be examined and described in detail. Among these algorithms, a further differentiation is made between those concerning proximal, or hierarchical development, and those regarding gravitational developments. In the latter one the positioning of nodes derives from quantitative values, that express their relation’s attractive strength. Conclusions derived from this work are the unavoidable need to implement maps’ dynamic reconstruction algorithms, when the complexity of the disciplinary ontology makes the traditional static approaches unable to provide an effectively usable image of the map.