Virtual Reality

Observe the construction of the Pyramids of Giza and then continue straight to ancient Rome. This and more is set to become possible with virtual reality. But what does this do to our understanding of history? Virtual reality applications with historical content are on the rise. They promise virtual time travel and the opportunity to finally show how the past really was. This results in ways of engaging with history that not only shape extracurricular historical culture and education but are also increasingly influencing history lessons. Therefore, the central question of this volume is: What does virtual reality do to history? While from a computer science perspective, historical content brings “only” special design criteria, historians face competition in the field of historical representation that may even threaten to render traditional methods obsolete. Museums and memorials are confronted with the challenge of integrating VR applications into their offerings and still— or perhaps precisely because of that— attracting visitors to their institutions. In this context, history didactics discusses the effects of virtual representations both inside and outside the classroom on historical learning processes. Experts from the mentioned fields share their perspectives on the question: Is virtual reality the future of historical education?.