Revisioning the Global Middle Ages: Immersive Environments for Teaching Medieval Languages and Culture

This essay synthesizes the perspectives of eleven participants in a colloquium that brought together experts in medieval language and culture, second-language acquisition, and video game production to assess the use of three-dimensional (3D) immersive environments for learning about inaccessible or lost cultures. We suggest that technology offers a unique method for experiencing the past; and when harnessed effectively, immersive environments can increase empathy and learning while appealing to a new generation of students.