Immersion in Digital Heritage for Students of the Alberto C. Ibáñez Chair of Heritage Studies

Last Thursday, the team from the XRAI Lab, part of the ADMIRABLE research group, and the PAINT (Intergenerational Heritage and New Technologies) teaching innovation group organized an innovative virtual reality experience at the Ibercaja space in Aranda de Duero. The activity allowed more than 40 students from the specialized courses of the Alberto C. Ibáñez Chair of Heritage Studies to immerse themselves in a digital environment designed for the dissemination of cultural heritage.

The event served as a platform for testing the application “La Isis de Clunia,” a development created by Bruno Rodríguez García as part of his doctoral thesis, under the supervision of Andrés Bustillo Iglesias and with the collaboration of María José Zaparaín Yáñez and Julián Hoyos Alonso, all of whom are teachers and researchers from the PAINT group. The main goal of the experience was to integrate technology into heritage dissemination, promoting interactive learning as an educational tool.

“The Isis of Clunia” is an application structured in different levels that aims to enhance knowledge of cultural and historical heritage and promote its dissemination. During the activity, participants learned about the history and iconography of Isis, based on the sculpture discovered in the 19th century among the ruins of Clunia. In addition to exploring a photogrammetric reconstruction of this Roman theater, where the digital figure of Isis itself acted as an interactive guide, the application provides detailed information and contextualizes the cultural legacy of the site.

Before immersing themselves in the virtual environment, the students completed a pre-knowledge test based on an informational brochure given to them days earlier. Subsequently, two additional evaluations were conducted: one on the usability of the application and another on the knowledge gained. This information, along with the data collected during each user’s session, allows for the analysis of the tool’s impact on the participants’ learning.

The results of the day were highly satisfactory. Attendees expressed great interest in the application, positively evaluating the possibility of accessing cultural content through immersive technologies. The initiative has demonstrated the potential of virtual reality as a means of bringing historical heritage closer to a broad and diverse audience, “a bridge between history and the public,” as defined by the organizing team.

The success of this activity reinforces the commitment of the XRAI Lab, the PAINT group, and Bruno Rodríguez to the research of new methodologies for the dissemination of cultural heritage. The organization highlights the potential of this methodology to bring these technologies closer to the population over 65 years old and expand access to culture through digital innovations.

Projects like “The Isis of Clunia” set the course for research aimed at integrating technology into education and cultural dissemination, opening new opportunities for interactive learning in the field of historical heritage.

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XRAI Lab. (2025, March, 20). IImmersion in Digital Heritage for Students of the Alberto C. Ibáñez Chair of Heritage Studies – XRAI Lab. link