Discover the Thracians – An Approach for Use of 2D and 3D Technologies for Digitization of Cultural Heritage in the Field of Elearning

Abstract

Information and communication technologies (ICT) offer an easier access to and a multiperspective view of cultural heritage artifacts and may also enrich and improve cultural heritage education through the adoption of innovative learning/teaching methods. This paper examines the different practices and opportunities for digitization of cultural artifacts with historical significance and describes the work on a pilot project concerning the development of elearning materials in the Thracian cultural and historical heritage. The proposed method presents an approach based on a combination of 2D and 3D technologies to facilitate the overall process of digitization of individual objects. This approach not only provides greater opportunities for presenting the Thracian heritage but also new perspectives for studying it – students, scientists, PhD students will have the opportunity to work with the materials without having access to them.

3D Environment for Virtual Collections

“…All of the disadvantages mentioned above show the need for a system with which authors can create virtual collections and present them in an online format over the Internet. In paper [4], the authors point out that traditional presentation materials such as text and images are not enough for describing the objects' properties, purpose and relations to other objects. In most cases, especially where physical access to the real artifact is not possible, an additional three-dimensional view of the digital object is needed.…”

The Odrysian Kingdom – a Concept of an Interactive Multimedia Application for Educational Purposes

“…Cultural heritage education in most European countries was based for a long time on traditional teaching methods such as face-to-face classroom lessons using mainly printed materials (texts and images), and very seldom watching videos [1]. Strangely enough, such innovativeness has not yet reflected openness to the introduction of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) in teaching and learning methods, which has, on the contrary, characterized other disciplines in the last few years [2].…”

Tools for Presenting 3D Objects and Virtual Collections Online

“…By integrating single three-dimensional models or complex scenes, comprised of many objects, in a way which allows the user to interact with the environment, authors achieve a unique presentation of their work. Representing objects in a 3D format offers many advantages compared to the traditional presentation materials such as text and images [1]. It allows Internet viewers to perceive the real properties of the objects, like form and dimensions, in a better way.…”