Mapping Technology Usage in Environmental Education

Abstract

Practices related to environmental education (EE) constitute a widely investigated theme, just as numerous works focus on leveraging Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for educational purposes. Less discussed is the intersection between the two themes: the adoption of ICT within environmental education, both in its curricular and extracurricular dimensions. The aim of this study is to provide a typology of environmental pedagogical practices using technology by mapping and analyzing current and past research on the topic. We outline the state of the art, provide a systematization of knowledge, and investigate study approaches combining bibliometric analysis of scientific literature using the PRISMA method with content analysis. EE practices have been expanding their reach, from primary to higher education and lifelong learning. There is also a prevalence of sustainability education as a major goal compared to previous decades. New, more engaging forms of gamification are supported by the broader democratization of mobile-based technologies, such as augmented reality and geospatial information systems (GIS). A typology of environmental technological practices has been constructed in light of these findings, classifying technologies’ scope and usage. Using a combination of bibliometric analysis via PRISMA and content analysis, it has been possible to identify and systematize trends in the theme given its peculiar transversality and the heterogeneity of disciplines involved in the subject. The results of this work highlight shared practices and peculiar approaches suggesting collaborations and virtuous integration, thus stimulating interdisciplinary debate.