A panoramic view of Dokdo. [North Gyeongsang Provincial Office of Education]
A panoramic view of Dokdo. [North Gyeongsang Provincial Office of Education]

The North Gyeongsang Provincial Office of Education announced Monday that its cyber Dokdo school has recorded 3.09 million cumulative visitors and 32,400 curriculum completions.

The online education platform, which marks its fifth anniversary this year, is open not only to students and school staff but to the general public, offering lessons on Dokdo's history and natural environment.

The education office recently developed new digital content, including an interactive program in which users explore Dokdo's ecosystem alongside black-tailed gulls, and a music-based module teaching the islets' history and territorial sovereignty.

The office also built augmented-reality content covering 22 of Dokdo's major rock formations and converted the cyber Dokdo school's metaverse environment to a web-based service that requires no separate software installation.

In classrooms, teachers are using a monthly teaching resource called "Monthly Dokdo" and developing lesson materials informed by firsthand experience through a voluntary teacher exploration club.

The office also supports students' on-site visits. Working through local education support offices across the province, it facilitates field trips to Dokdo, with about 1,000 students visiting the islets each year.

A ceremony marking Dokdo Day was held Sunday. [North Gyeongsang Provincial Office of Education]
A ceremony marking Dokdo Day was held Sunday. [North Gyeongsang Provincial Office of Education]

A ceremony commemorating the 126th Dokdo Day, observed Oct. 25, was held on Ulleungdo on Sunday.

The education office plans to expand student experiential education and teacher training through a Dokdo Education Center being built on Ulleungdo, and to strengthen an integrated curriculum linking the cyber school, classroom instruction and field visits.

"Dokdo education must not end with a single day's commemorative event," North Gyeongsang Provincial Superintendent of Education Im Jong-sik said. "We will continue to support year-round Dokdo education — where students learn online, explore in the classroom and experience Dokdo firsthand on-site."


kbj7653@heraldcorp.com