Interactive Cultural Learning

In videogames, classical buildings and objects are usually tarnished and collapsed. This chapter surveys how different styles of videogame from the 1980s to the 21st century depict antiquity. Four versions can be identified: its original freshness, its modern traces, and the moments of its destruction are three. The fourth is that ancient Greece and Rome were already made of ruins. This range reflects the nature of games themselves, as well as the tastes of modern audiences.

In the coming decades, the platforms and formalisms scholars employ to display, transform, and transmit information will continue to evolve. Innovations in information management did not stop with the codex. They will not stop with the PC. The purpose of this paper is to explore a specific implication that new paradigms of computing—especially those pertaining to 3D objects and 3D environments—will present for the discipline of history. Put simply, this study suggests historians will need to re‐think the aesthetics of their discipline. Drawing on the experience of the<it> 3D Virtual Buildings Project</it>, it suggests there are two possibilities historians can and ought to explore. The first is to test the efficacy of 3D objects as cognitive tools, tools designed to assist student realization that historical works are models, models that must be distinguished from the objects they represent. The second is to explore the use of 3D‐immersive environments as platforms to display research findings. If Virtual Reality is to emerge as a viable medium for the historical discipline, scholars will need to transform their practice. Assumptions regarding the constitution of narrative, authorship and the scholarly work will all require modification.

Lecture in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, november 14, 2010). Updated english version of: SUÁREZ OTERO, J. (1999), La Tumba de Santiago, entre la Fe y la Arqueología, in VV.AA., Compostela na Historia. Redescubrimento- rexurdimento (Santiago), 15- 22."

Built heritage forms a unique asset by expressing the richness and diversity of our history, possessing vast amounts of information that varies from factual and explicit, to more tacit and embedded. Tacit knowledge of built heritage is typically more challenging to communicate to visitors in understandable and engaging ways due to its implicit and abstract character. Therefore, we investigate how built heritage information can be disclosed via simultaneous and integrated physical and digital means, and how this information can be communicated to visitors in more engaging, educational and meaningful ways. In this thesis we present the approach of “Phygital Heritage”, which entails how heritage information can be disclosed via simultaneous and integrated physical and digital means. We hypothesize that this approach forms a potential medium for more engaging and meaningful communication of heritage information to a broader public. It even enables heritage visitors to appreciate heritage in more experiential ways, and to raise community awareness about heritage assets.
Through a set of in-the-wild studies, in which interactive phygital prototypes were designed and deployed in real-world heritage and museum environments, we explore how the seamless integration of digital technology into physical reality facilitates the communication of built heritage information to museum visitors and how it affects user engagement. 
• In Saqqara Entrance Colonnade, through a between-group comparative study in a real-world museum context, we examined how the tangible characteristics of an interactive museum prototype influence how visitors understand tacit knowledge of built heritage;
• In Nimrud Relief, through a field study in a real-world museum environment, we investigated how an augmented reality experience impacts the architectural contextualization of an isolated artifact from the Nimrud palace in Iraq;
• In Graethem Chapel, through an in-the-wild study, we investigated how an in-situ interactive projection mapping enables the communication of the spatiotemporal transformation of a medieval chapel that occurred during the last 850 years; and
• In Neferirtenef Tomb-Chapel, through a field study in a real-world museum environment, we investigated how a tangible gamification installation supports informal cultural learning of young museum visitors and how it encourages collaboration among them.
In summary, this thesis contributes to the knowledge about the communication of built heritage information by demonstrating how this information can be disclosed via simultaneous and integrated physical and digital means, enabling the broader public to appreciate heritage in more experiential ways.

Despite the huge sales of various historical videogames (e.g. Sid Meier’s Civilization, Call of Duty, Assassin’s Creed) the discipline of history has shown surprisingly little interest in this new mode of historical expression. These videogames are perhaps the most popular contemporary histories but there seems to be a perception of the form as unsuitable for consideration as a legitimate form of historical narrative. This article attempts to explore the videogames legitimacy as a historical form. This is done by starting with Galloway’s (2006) informatics critique of Civilization which has serious implications for the videogame as a historical form. This is followed by evidence, from both educators and players, which affirms that play with the game already constitutes a historical experience that ties into a larger historical discourse. Finally, by using a perspective that rethinks empiricism and written representationalism and which endorses a position that frees up intellectual space for the postmodern historian, this article attempts to address issues surrounding the suitability of the videogame as an historical form. This essay seeks to show that these are inherent ‘flaws’ attributable to history (which can be thought of as representation), rather than any particular form. This leads to an exploration of the similarities in the algorithmic process of creative construction of the game-based history to our other more traditional modes of history. By re-evaluating Galloway’s work we are also rethinking empirical-analytical historical thinking and practice. Doing so, allows us to begin to explore important questions about and affirm that the videogame can be a recognisable metonymic narrative device and thus a suitable form for history.

The application of interactive learning is directed towards increasing the quality of communication in the teaching process. The focus of the research in this paper is the influence of the communicative approach on the quality of the teaching process, and the purposeful interaction that has been both the method and the aim of the communicative approach. The authors of this paper argue that the interactive method significantly adds to a successful implementation of purposeful communication in the teaching process. The authors argue that effective communication in the teaching process implies mutual respect, equality of all the participants in the process, honesty and straightforwardness, together with the acknowledgement of both teachers' and students' needs. The results of experimental research relating to the impact of interactive learning on the quality of communication in the language teaching process are presented in this paper. The effects of interactive learning have been expressed through a higher degree of communication freedom and active listening enticement. The overall results of this research point to the significance of further training of teachers in terms of the application of the interactive method in the classroom, thus creating an atmosphere abundant in positive stimuli and challenges for the students.

The use of digital tools has become a tremendous aid in the creation of digital, historical reconstructions of architectural projects. While common visualization techniques focus on pre-rendered graphics, it is possible to apply Game Engines for real-time architectural visualization. This article presents the results of different reconstruction case studies, using a variety of design applications and techniques. Specific focus is placed on the use of Building Information Modeling software and on the inherent complexity and limitations in the process of translating an active, evolving model into an environment suitable for use in a real-time system.

Although the widespread use of gaming for leisure purposes has been well documented, the use of games to support cultural heritage purposes, such as historical teaching and learning, or for enhancing museum visits, has been less well considered. The state-of-the-art in serious game technology is identical to that of the state-of-the-art in entertainment games technology. As a result the field of serious heritage games concerns itself with recent advances in computer games, real-time computer graphics, virtual and augmented reality and artificial intelligence. On the other hand, the main strengths of serious gaming applications may be generalised as being in the areas of communication, visual expression of information, collaboration mechanisms, interactivity and entertainment. In this report, we will focus on the state-of-the-art with respect to the theories, methods and technologies used in serious heritage games. We provide an overview of existing literature of relevance to the domain, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the described methods and point out unsolved problems and challenges. In addition, several case studies illustrating the application of methods and technologies used in cultural heritage are presented.

Although the widespread use of gaming for leisure purposes has been well documented, the use of games to support cultural heritage purposes, such as historical teaching and learning, or for enhancing museum visits, has been less well considered. The state-of-the-art in serious game technology is identical to that of the state-of-the-art in entertainment games technology. As a result, the field of serious heritage games concerns itself with recent advances in computer games, real-time computer graphics, virtual and augmented reality and artificial intelligence. On the other hand, the main strengths of serious gaming applications may be generalised as being in the areas of communication, visual expression of information, collaboration mechanisms, interactivity and entertainment. In this report, we will focus on the state-of-the-art with respect to the theories, methods and technologies used in serious heritage games. We provide an overview of existing literature of relevance to the domain, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the described methods and point out unsolved problems and challenges. In addition, several case studies illustrating the application of methods and technologies used in cultural heritage are presented.

This work in progress paper describes collaborative research, taking place on three continents, towards creating a ‘mixed reality teaching & learning environment’ (MiRTLE) that enables teachers and students participating in realtime mixed and online classes to interact with avatar representations of each other. The longer term hypothesis that will be investigated is that avatar representations of teachers and students will help create a sense of shared presence, engendering a sense of community and improving student engagement in online lessons. This paper explores the technology that will underpin such systems by presenting work on the use of a massively multi-user game server, based on Sun’s Project Darkstar and Project Wonderland tools, to create a shared teaching environment, illustrating the process by describing the creation of a virtual classroom. We describe the Shanghai NEC eLearning system that will form the platform for the deployment of this work. As these systems will take on an increasingly global reach, we discuss how cross cultural issues will effect such systems. We conclude by outlining our future plans to test our hypothesis by deploying this technology on a live system with some 15,000 online users.

The presentation examines the increasing interest of local societies for virtual reality projects, related to emblematic moments of their history or to symbolic ruined and less known monuments, for which there is also a raising visualization demand. There will be discussed and presented the cases of Thermopylae, Thebes, Livadia and Pella, in Central and Northern Greece, where the latest projects of FHW have been realized.

Although the widespread use of gaming for leisure purposes has been well documented, the use of games to support cultural heritage purposes, such as historical teaching and learning, or for enhancing museum visits, has been less well considered. The state-of-the-art in serious game technology is identical to that of the state-of-the-art in entertainment games technology. As a result the field of serious heritage games concerns itself with recent advances in computer games, real-time computer graphics, virtual and ...

Although the widespread use of gaming for leisure purposes has been well documented, the use of games to support cultural heritage purposes, such as historical teaching and learning, or for enhancing museum visits, has been less well considered. The state-of-the-art in serious game technology is identical to that of the state-of-the-art in entertainment games technology. As a result the field of serious heritage games concerns itself with recent advances in computer games, real-time computer graphics, virtual and ...

The major outcomes of the project are:
- A publication in the form of an edited volume: Festival Culture in the World of the Spanish Habsburgs (Routledge, formerly Ahsgate, 2015).
-  International Conference: Re-creating Renaissance and Baroque Spectacle: the Hispanic Habsburg Dynasty in context, Edinburgh, 6–7 July 2010.
- Re-creating Early Modern Festivals, Chief Curator Matthew Gallery, The University of Edinburgh, 6–16 September 2010.
- International Network for the Early Modern Festival Study, founded and coordinated by Dr Fernández-González until 2019, now coordinated by Dr Bram van Leuveren.
(The project website is now defunct alas)

Si presentano i risultati dell'indagine sulla visibilità online del patrimonio culturale siciliano (realizzata nel volume "La visibilit@ sul web del patrimonio culturale siciliano. Criticità e prospettive attraverso un survey on-line con Guida multimediale ai musei siciliani sul web"), soffermandosi sulle principali criticità e illustrando le potenzialità non adeguatamente sfruttate della comunicazione culturale sul web.

Although the widespread use of gaming for leisure purposes has been well documented, the use of games to support cultural heritage purposes, such as his-torical teaching and learning, or for enhancing museum visits, has been less well considered. The ...

"Although the widespread use of gaming for leisure purposes has been well documented, the use of games to support cultural heritage purposes, such as historical teaching and learning, or for enhancing museum visits, has been less well considered.
The state-of-the-art in serious game technology is identical to that of the state-of-the-art in entertainment games technology. As a result the field of serious heritage games concerns itself with recent advances in computer games, real-time computer graphics, virtual and augmented reality and artificial intelligence. On the other hand, the main strengths of serious gaming applications may be generalised as being in the areas of communication, visual expression of information, collaboration mechanisms, interactivity and entertainment. In this report, we will focus on the state-of-the-art with respect to the theories, methods and technologies used in serious heritage games.
We provide an overview of existing literature of relevance to the domain, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the described methods and point out unsolved problems and challenges. In addition, several case studies illustrating the application of methods and technologies used in cultural heritage are presented."

The recent virtual technologies, web and mobile, are changing the way to read the present; similarly it must change the approach of presenting the past. The fruition of cultural heritage and history is maturing modalities in the use of tools (Web sites, portals, social networks, mobile devices) and techniques (computer graphics, virtual tour, augmented reality) for better communication. In the following article, some contemporary phenomena are analyzed and are presented some techniques and case studies related to ICT (Information Communication Technology) for teaching and the dissemination of culture.

Although the widespread use of gaming for leisure purposes has been well documented, the use of games to support cultural heritage purposes, such as historical teaching and learning, or for enhancing museum visits, has been less well considered. The state-of-the-art in serious game technology is identical to that of the state-of-the-art in entertainment games technology. As a result the field

2nd International Conference of Education (CONEDU 2022) will provide an excellent international forum for sharing knowledge and results in all areas of Education. The goal of this conference is to bring together researchers and practitioners from academia and industry to focus on Educational advancements, and establishing new collaborations in these areas. Original research papers, state-of-the-art reviews are invited for publication in all areas of Education.

This book systematically investigates intercultural experiences of Polish managers and specialists delegated by their multinational company (MNC) on an international assignment to China. The book employs narrative inquiry to explore language, intercultural communication, collaboration, learning, and expatriate adjustment in the MNC. This approach offers new insights into intercultural experiences, communication, and cultural challenges faced by an under-researched group of professionals exposed to intensive collaborations with the local managers and employees. The findings also illustrate how the expatriates learned to better navigate the multicultural and multilingual business context and what factors facilitated and inhibited their learning and adjustment. Encouraging the qualitative, context-sensitive examination of expatriate-local personnel interactions, the book will be an invaluable source for scholars and practitioners interested in, among others, novel approaches to investigating language and intercultural communication in international business, cross-cultural management, qualitative cross-cultural research, as well as for lecturers and students interested in Central Europe and China.

Remote sensing, powerful computing engines, and agent-based models offer new ways to interpret data and broaden data collection, moving archaeologists closer to their ultimate goal of approximating the individual within an extensive, interpreted, digital environment. The first Web extra is a video that demonstrates how the advanced acquisition and processing of magnetic data has led to new discoveries and insights, such as the "Henge" monument excavated near Stonehenge in 2010. The second Web extra is a video that illustrates how researchers used 3D seismic data, initially collected for use in oil and gas exploration, to reconstruct Doggerland, a lost Mesolithic landscape that was inundated by the North Sea during the last great period of global warming.

Le recenti tecnologie virtuali, web e mobili stanno cambiando il modo di leggere il presente; allo stesso modo deve mutare anche il modo di presentare il passato. La fruizione dei beni culturali e della storia sta maturando modalità proprie nell’impiego di strumenti (siti, portali, social network, dispositivi mobili) e tecniche (computer grafica, tour virtuali, realtà aumentata) per una migliore comunicazione. Di seguito verranno analizzati alcuni fenomeni attuali e presentate alcune tecniche e casi di studio relativi alle applicazioni ICT (Information Communication Technology) per la didattica e la divulgazione culturale.