Abstract

The Finnish national curricula for basic and upper secondary education emphasize students’ ability to understand, analyse and present geographical information by using geomedia. The term “geomedia” refers to the varied use of maps, geographical information systems, diagrams, images, videos, literary sources, media, oral presentations, and other methods of presenting geographical data. In this case study, we examine high-school students’ (N = 75) understanding of geomedia as a concept and their experiences of using geomedia in problem-based learning. The results indicate that the concept of geomedia is not well known. Students primarily utilized digital geomedia, such as web material, digital images and videos, as sources of geographical information. How accessible the geomedia is, the students’ ICT and language skills, and guidance from the teacher were the main criteria that students mentioned they use when selecting geomedia for studying purposes. The results provide teachers and educators with new information about the current state of the use of geomedia in a high school context, and also about the factors that affect the use of geomedia.