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Introducing the
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This education innovation project was initially designed to make digitally-mediated experiential sustainability education about distant places accessible to school students in Aotearoa New Zealand by allowing them to learn about sustainability and tourism in the context of a well-known Peruvian town and its unique culture.
Because the learning tool was developed for the public good it is freely available to any learners whether in schools, universities, etc, or not part of formal education.
To engage in digitally-mediated situated experiential education about Machu Picchu Pueblo, learners visit a digital replication of the main square of Machu Picchu Pueblo (also known as Aguas Calientes), at the base of the world-famous and heavily visited Machu Picchu archaeological site. The town's square and central alleys, train and recycling depot, as well as the hill-top area overlooking the Inca's sacred city have been developed using virtual reality gaming software (Unity) to allow learners to explore the town and to find stakeholders to learn from. In total, students can learn from eleven different community stakeholders about life in the town, the positive and negative impacts of tourism, and their aspirations for the year 2030 (to tie in with the UN's Agenda 2030 and the SDGs). The stakeholders include the mayor, representatives of local government, business owners, the local doctor, a tour guide, a busker, a porter working on the Inca Trail, a community member with limited contact with tourism, and a tourist.
The learning tool is freely available and while it was initially designed to support Years 9-10 Social Studies, Sustainability, Geography and Tourism education it has also been used in undergraduate and postgraduate courses at university. Versions of the learning tool are available for Windows computers, Apple/Mac computers and Chromebooks.
The project has been developed by a multi-disciplinary team from Victoria University of Wellington, Aotearoa/New Zealand in collaboration with the community members and local government of Machu Picchu Pueblo with the support of the Latin America Centre of Asia-Pacific Excellence (LatAm CAPE)
Because the learning tool was developed for the public good it is freely available to any learners whether in schools, universities, etc, or not part of formal education.
To engage in digitally-mediated situated experiential education about Machu Picchu Pueblo, learners visit a digital replication of the main square of Machu Picchu Pueblo (also known as Aguas Calientes), at the base of the world-famous and heavily visited Machu Picchu archaeological site. The town's square and central alleys, train and recycling depot, as well as the hill-top area overlooking the Inca's sacred city have been developed using virtual reality gaming software (Unity) to allow learners to explore the town and to find stakeholders to learn from. In total, students can learn from eleven different community stakeholders about life in the town, the positive and negative impacts of tourism, and their aspirations for the year 2030 (to tie in with the UN's Agenda 2030 and the SDGs). The stakeholders include the mayor, representatives of local government, business owners, the local doctor, a tour guide, a busker, a porter working on the Inca Trail, a community member with limited contact with tourism, and a tourist.
The learning tool is freely available and while it was initially designed to support Years 9-10 Social Studies, Sustainability, Geography and Tourism education it has also been used in undergraduate and postgraduate courses at university. Versions of the learning tool are available for Windows computers, Apple/Mac computers and Chromebooks.
The project has been developed by a multi-disciplinary team from Victoria University of Wellington, Aotearoa/New Zealand in collaboration with the community members and local government of Machu Picchu Pueblo with the support of the Latin America Centre of Asia-Pacific Excellence (LatAm CAPE)
Privacy Policy for the Android Apps/Chromebook version of the Virtual Machu Picchu Learning Tool
Project leader, Dr Christian Schott, explains the motivation for the 'Virtual Reality for Sustainability Project', of which this learning tool for schools is a core component |
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Software and Support Resources
Download links for Learning Tool |
Download & Install InstructionsTo edit, click on the text to start adding your own words.
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Resources about Peru, Machu Picchu Pueblo, and tourismTo edit, click on the text to start adding your own words.
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Research Publications & International Awards
The concept behind the learning tool was published in the Journal of Computer-Assisted Learning (JCAL), while research on the User Experience was published in the Australasian Journal of Educational Technology (AJET). The most recent publication examined teachers' and students' perspectives as well as the logistical implications of using the learning tool in immersive VR and was published in Computers & Education: X Reality.
The project has also been awarded three major international awards:
GOLD AWARD SUSTAINABILITY at 2020/2021 Wharton - QS Reimagine Education Awards
BRONZE AWARD OCEANIA at 2019/2020 Wharton - QS Reimagine Education Awards
Our Fiji-based sustainability-focused learning tool, which is not featured here, also employs the concept of VR Experiential Education and was awarded AACSB's prestigious 'Innovations that Inspire' honour in 2018 for Enhancing Approaches to Leadership Education.
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