Despite formal education’s best efforts I still find geography enjoyable which is probably why I’ve spent way too much playing with Google Earth. Nystrom a Herff Jones company has recently released StrataLogica to harness this and combine it with their own map content for use in the classroom.

Technology and Interface

StrataLogica is an online version of Nystrom’s wall map and globe content. It was initially built with help from Roundarch but they are transitioning it to an in-house project. It is mostly based on the Google Earth plugin and JavaScript but it also uses Flash/Flex for small portions of the interface. Nystrom’s maps overlay those found in Google Earth. Navigation on the globe itself uses Google’s standard interface, but is supplemented with a custom sidebar for switching maps and quickly navigating to specific locations. There is a tab at the top that brings down a virtual set of their wall maps. There is also the ability to show two views with a split screen making it easy to maintain the context of the material. The most usable features I found were in the toolbar which provides tools to save views, measure distances (with the curve of the earth), draw and label, mark with push pins and symbols, and search for locations.

Uses

StrataLogica would work well with a projector or something like a smart board, but could also be useful in a lab or home setting for assignments. The classroom license extends licenses to students for home use and also provides a user management console to the teacher. It is a fairly cost effective way to provide materials to all the students as long as they have access the internet outside of class.

Content

The content itself is superb. Nystrom leads the geographical based education industry and the rich internet application medium provides an effective platform for their material. In addition to standard geography there are curriculum appropriate maps dedicated to political, social science, and historical content. Also included are their Atlases, Charts, and Outline Maps for tradition two dimensional material and the the option to view the raw Google Earth maps. The content should more than cover the needs of most classrooms.

Reaction

“The early reactions to StrataLogica have been overwhelmingly positive,” said Don Rescigno, director of marketing for Herff Jones Education Division. “We feel we have accomplished this goal and then some - StrataLogica is a breakthrough educational tool that is changing how our kids learn about their world,” said Scott Judy, Roundarch’s director of user experience.

Licensing

It is setup as a 5 year license with a one time fee per classroom.

Downsides

The Google Earth plugin is fantastic, but at times it loads so slow I think it might be faster to pull down a wall map. The issue could be remedied with improved hardware and optimization from Google. Also, StrataLogica should have been around for a short time and the since much of what has been accomplished is so cutting edge, there are still some kinks to work out.

Conclusion

If you aren’t in a classroom you probably won’t ever need StrataLogica. However it is an effective example of an educational RIA. The effective tools combined with top notch content comes through as a fantastic product.

Checkout StrataLogica's YouTube Channel for a few video demos or follow them on twitter @stratalogica.

If you are a Flex/ActionScript or Google Earth developer and are interested in working on the Stratalogica team please contact Rich Tretola at @richtretola

Read more from Garth Braithwaite.