A Comprehensive Historical School Encyclopedia: Insights from the Editors of WorldView’s History Subjects

“Hakob Muradyan, Arman Maloyan, and Tigran Zakaryan—three distinct individuals united by at least two shared passions: history and WorldView. All are historians who joined the Visual Armenia Foundation as editors at different stages: Hakob and Arman specializing in Armenian history, and Tigran in world history. They became part of the team with a strong sense of purpose, driven by their belief in the importance of their work.”

“For some time, we’ve been using the term ‘knowledge-based state.’ However, knowledge must stem from education. Without education, there can be no science,” says Hakob Muradyan, Scientific Secretary at the Institute of History of the RA National Academy of Sciences, Associate Professor, and Candidate of Historical Sciences. “I have been with WorldView for a year and a half, believing that this platform is the gateway for sharing the crystallized knowledge and materials in my professional field with students.”

Hakob Muradyan emphasizes the vital role of the humanities—especially history—in shaping individuals, future citizens, and a stronger, more competitive state, which forms the foundation of WorldView. He believes that understanding history fosters flexibility and foresight, as history has a “tendency” to repeat itself. Developing that critical thinking can lead to better decision making when students later become professionals or leaders.

In just four years, over 4,000 articles have been created and integrated into the WorldView educational platform. Each article undergoes a thorough review process, or as editor Arman Maloyan puts it, “passes under the swords of various specialists.”

“Regarding Armenian and world history, I can confidently say that WorldView is a complete historical school encyclopedia,” says Arman Maloyan, Deputy Director of the “Vatche and Tamar Manoukian” Manuscript Library at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, who has taught in schools for many years. “Textbooks don’t have the capacity to present all didactic materials, but WorldView offers that opportunity. The same event or fact can be viewed from different perspectives, allowing for a more comprehensive understanding. Students and teachers can find engaging materials here that aren’t available in textbooks.”

In short, this is how each educational article on WorldView is created: The textbook serves as the foundation, the state curriculum needs are identified, and relevant content is organized—for example, historical figures, events, and places. Specialized authors (primarily researchers and educators) then write the articles. Afterward, the articles undergo a thorough review by subject editors. Once a consensus is reached between the editor and author, the articles are proofread. For Visual Armenia, it is essential that every piece of content on WorldView is not only reliable but also written in clear, well-crafted Armenian. Additionally, articles are enriched with multimedia and maps to enhance the visual appeal and comprehension of the topics.

I always try to envision the reader, and I encourage the authors to do the same,” explains Tigran Zakaryan, a historian with international experience in media and communications. “Imagine this will be read by Vachik and Ashkhen, tenth-grade students at most. Beyond merely knowing facts—such as which battle took place in which year and who signed which treaty—it’s far more important to understand what led to these events and what their consequences were. We aim to present causal chains, or at least parts of them, as they can be endless. The key is to encourage students to think critically and engage in debate.”

“In history, every detail matters—from seemingly small human moments to vivid, interactive maps. WorldView pays close attention to all these ‘details,’” adds Tigran Zakaryan. “It’s crucial that when discussing history, students can visualize what’s happening on the ground, just as they would in politics. For example, by examining maps of religious denominations during the Syrian conflict, the situation becomes clearer, and students can better understand our position. Maps help provide perspective. For instance, they reveal why Turkey entered World War I only after Bulgaria’s defeat.”

Hakob Muradyan and Arman Maloyan approach their work not only as historians but also as parents. WorldView serves as a “space” where students can explore the ‘sea of information’ and find only reliable and useful content. ‘In this bright age of information freedom and diversity, you can find anything on the internet, including harmful and inaccurate information,’ says Arman Maloyan. “Thus, the rich materials in WorldView, developed in alignment with state curriculum requirements, not only save valuable time for teachers and students but also effectively support the mastery of the school curriculum.”

With WorldView, smartphones are no longer a distraction. The platform addresses the modern challenge of students being distracted from lessons. ‘This is the right platform to engage students with the subject because they can access it through their phones. Instead of playing other games, they can engage with this “immersive learning game.” It has the potential to spark interest in even the most disengaged students and serves as a springboard for discoveries,’ emphasizes Hakob Muradyan.

‘This is a valuable resource within the Armenian context, benefiting not only students and teachers but also university students, who are already utilizing it, as well as the general public,’ concludes Tigran Zakaryan.”