THE CARTOGRAPHIC POTENTIAL OF GRAPHICS DESIGN SOFTWARE FOR EDUCATION

Acquiring cartographic skills is an important part of any geography st udent's training and education. Whilst there are a number of good cart ographic software packages now available, graphics design (art, paint, and CAD) software packages have generally been more widely available for micro-computers offering a potentially useful alternative especial ly to teach computer cartography. The relatively low cost of this soft ware, facilitating installation on educational networks, their relativ e ease of use for students with limited computer background and drawin g skills, and widespread availability offers a number of distinct adva ntages. The opportunity to explore map design from an experimental per spective also makes them very attractive for educational purposes. Thi s paper examines the educational potential of graphics design software packages for teaching cartography.