While conducting my research, I also found that virtual reality environments could be powerful teaching tools. After creating an interactive application containing a virtual reality reconstruction of the Maya site of Cerro Maya (formerly known as Cerros), I began using it in an introductory anthropology class that I taught at the University of Florida (UF). Click here to Read more...

This is a VR focused Class with intensive use of VR as teaching and student project medium (Teaching) - Syllabus link click here

Influenced by the “Ontological Turn,” this class explores how ontological and metaphysical systems shape societies around the world. For a semester-long project, Hampshire college students learned to use VR tools while independently researching ancient Maya or Pompeiian metaphysical beliefs. More specifically, students were asked to represent and characterize how metaphysical beliefs and ontological assumptions are located in cultural landscapes by producing a short research paper and a virtual reality representation of an ancient belief that would be presented to the class. Read more about this project by clicking here or Click here to see a video demonstration

Humans are becoming cybernetic hybrids, communities are becoming social networks, language is changing in response to technologies, popular digital fiat currencies are emerging, and ancient worlds are being recreated in virtual reality. These transformations are radically changing the way social and anthropological research is done. It is clear that humans are becoming increasingly “digital.” This course is a preliminary investigation of how the digital environment is affecting humans and, methodologically, how humans study themselves and the world. This is a trailer introducing students to the course "Digital Anthropology."

Click here to watch the trailer 

Click here to download syllabus

This is a sample of the introductory video modules for this course - Click here to watch

After reading Pedro Pitarch's amazing ethnography "The Jaguar and the Priest: An Ethnography of Tzeltal souls," I asked my students to create visual representations of Tzeltal Maya souls to spur active learning while raising comprehension of Pitarch's complex work. First, students worked together in groups to summarize and synthesize key the concepts described Pitarch's ethnography. Then, in a democratic fashion, they organized their concepts into a visual representation (seen below).  Read more about this project by clicking here.