Ancient Egypt at your fingertips: The Discovery Tour as an innovative tool in Immersive and Interactive History Teaching

Abstract

Living in a highly technological and interconnected society, it is crucial that education aligns with the experiences and interests of students. Information and Communication Technologies play a fundamental role in the daily lives of the new generations, shaping their language, mode of interaction, and knowledge-seeking behavior. The objective of this study is to analyze the pedagogical potential of Discovery Tour as an auxiliary tool for History teachers and propose its use in their classes, for a more attractive and interactive teaching. In this context, we conducted a literature review covering the use of the Discovery Tour and the impact of technologies on contemporary society, like the studies and concepts of authors such as Manuel Castells, who discusses the Network Society, and Pierre Lévy, who coined the concept of cyberculture. This review provided a theoretical foundation for understanding the Discovery Tour as an educational technology. We then conducted a detailed analysis of the possibilities and limitations of this tool in the context of History education, considering historical, technical, pedagogical, and accessibility aspects. Based on the conclusions of this analysis, we developed a pedagogical proposal to guide teachers who wish to incorporate the Discovery Tour into their History classes.