Abstract
In recent years, virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a powerful technology with the potential to impact higher education. This paper examines the use of VR as a teaching tool in college classrooms, with a specific focus on its ability to provide previously inaccessible archaeological experiences to online students. By immersing students in virtual environments, educators can potentially overcome geographical, financial, and logistical constraints, allowing students to explore the world and its diverse cultures without leaving their home learning environment. Providing these opportunities also uses technology to make the benefits of study abroad more accessible and inclusive, a core driver of this project. The paper begins with a broad overview of the challenges and opportunities afforded by using immersive technologies in the college classroom, discussing both the theoretical foundations supporting the incorporation of VR as an educational tool and the current constraints of university-level online education programs. The paper then presents a methodology for producing an immersive educational experience using 360-degree video, discussing the practical logistics of filming as well as the evidence-based research underlying the course’s pedagogical choices. The course, called the “Seven Wonders of Ancient Greece,” will run for the first time in 2025, at which point data will be gathered regarding student experience and learning outcomes. Overall, this paper contributes to, and provides a framework for, the ongoing discourse on leveraging VR technology to provide a more inclusive educational experience for students of archaeology.