Cerro Maya 3d (Cerros), Belize

In my introductory anthropology class, I created an interactive learning project where students had to explore a virtual reality reconstruction of the ancient Maya site of Cerros (video below).

This video was created the Florida Museum of Natural History's exhibit of Cerros Maya City by the Sea: Daily Life and Ritual 2012. The architecture was precisely modeled from original site maps and excavation data.

Students were asked to characterize the social capacities of the architecture in terms of the ritual practice that were important to the rise of social hierarchy at Cerro Maya (Cerros). In surveys I found that this virtual reality application increased student interest, engagement, comprehension, and retention of core concepts. By providing an interactive and immersive learning space, students were able generate their own ideas and theories while actively retaining the complex anthropological concepts that they were required to learn.