Prospective Study on Geosciences On-Line Education: UNESCO Global Geoparks in Spain and Portugal

UNESCO Global Geoparks (UGGps) stand out as territories of excellence for the development of educational activities in the international arena. Their didactic potential, their multidisciplinarity and their importance for the development of non-formal and informal teaching activities have drawn the attention of institutions, organizations and governments of many countries. This, to such an extent, that the number of UGGps continues to increase year after year, having currently reached 177 territories spread over 46 countries. All of them work every day developing different activities and educational proposals aimed at the creation of the so-called Quality Education, the fourth objective of the SDGs of the 2030 Agenda. The diversity of didactic plans, their adaptability and their accessibility mean that each UGGp is unique and different from the rest, maintaining the key values that make up this group of territories. This study describes the different educational proposals and activities that the Spanish and Portuguese UGGps show on their official websites, with the aim of analyzing their level of visibility before visiting the territories and highlighting their relevance in the education development framework.

Automated summary

UNESCO Global Geoparks are excellent territories for educational activities on the international stage. Their educational potential, multidisciplinarity, and importance for non-formal and informal teaching activities have attracted attention from institutions, organizations, and governments of many countries. Currently, there are 177 UGGps in 46 countries, continuously increasing to promote quality education as part of the 2030 Agenda. Each UGGp has unique educational proposals and activities, maintaining key values that distinguish them from one another. This study examines the visibility and relevance of educational proposals in Spanish and Portuguese UGGps before visiting the territories.