Learning Labs: situation, potential, and challenges when using digital geomedia

The demand for digital including geomedia skills is increasing across all sectors of society, driven by the growing importance of digitalization. Digital geomedia include all types of spatially referenced content used to capture, create, store, analyze, present, and reflect geographic or spatial phenomena, all based on geodata. Examples include online maps and story maps, satellite imagery and Earth observation browsers, as well as applications for volunteered geographic information. To meet this need, learning labs - as non-formal education initiatives that aim to use innovative learning approaches and settings — complement formal education and play a crucial role in developing geomedia skills. In this context, there are several open questions: Which role do digital geomedia play in educational activities of learning labs? Which objectives are addressed by learning labs taking into account the use of digital geomedia? To address these questions, learning labs in German-speaking countries (i.e., the DACH region) were examined using an online questionnaire. The questionnaire results were discussed and complemented by insights and practical experiences from a learning lab use case: the iDEAS:lab, the GI learning laboratory of the Faculty of Geoinformatics - Z_GIS at the University of Salzburg. The results show that digital geomedia are used in learning labs to varying degrees and for diverse purposes — ranging from supporting teaching across various school subjects to building geomedia skills in school students. In addition, learning labs offer training to support educators in the use of digital geomedia and provide opportunities for educational research and community building. However, with a focus on non-formal education activities for schools, there is still unused potential regarding research opportunities among others for the development, including design, implementation and evaluation of new teaching and learning approaches regarding learning with geoinformatics.