A roadmap for implementing VR-based teaching courses in archaeology

Virtual Reality (VR), as a component of Extended Reality (XR), enables the visualization and exploration of archaeological sites and artifacts that are otherwise inaccessible or lost due to time, decay, or physical access constraints.As is common in archaeology, when a new technology becomes available, it is incorporated into the archaeologist's toolbox, but there remains a need to identify workflows and best practices.The paper entitled 'Virtual Reality Tours as an Immersive Approach to Archaeology in Higher Education,' authored by Robert Stephan, Aviva Doery, and Caleb Simmons, presents a significant scholarly contribution to the practical integration of VR (360-degree recordings) in college archaeology courses, starting with the upcoming course titled 'Seven Wonders of Ancient Greece.'The manuscript includes a well-structured and up-to-date literature review and a relevant discussion on enhancing accessibility to international study experiences through VR technology.It explicitly outlines the phases of the project yet to be implemented and details the steps for implementing VR in educational settings, from device requirements to the evaluation of knowledge acquisition, including equipment cost and technological accessibility.The paper demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of the broader implications of integrating such technologies into mainstream curricula.Although the reusability of geolocated and timestamped 360-degree recordings is not directly addressed, this paper serves as a solid handbook and a valuable roadmap for researchers and educators aiming to establish VR-based teaching projects in archaeology.