This course introduces learners to the concept of Cultural Heritage, Storytelling, and explores how Augmented Reality (AR) can be used to create interactive learning experiences based on digitised cultural heritage assets. Learners will also be actively involved in designing and developing their own digitally content-rich materials.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand key principles of Cultural Heritage and its role in present societies;
• Evaluate the utilisation of digital tools in preserving and communicating cultural heritage assets;
• Understand key principles of digital storytelling, Augmented Reality, and game-based learning;
• Develop basic skills in digital tools such as 3D photogrammetry, chroma-keying, and how to apply these in an AR app.

Unit I: Digitization of Cultural Heritage
Unit 1 will introduce you to the concept of cultural heritage, and explore different ways that heritage assets are used and disseminated in digital form today. Unit I also introduces the two case studies that form the basis of AR scenario development in Unit 2 below.


Unit II: Cultural heritage in Augmented Reality
Unit 2 will introduce you to digital storytelling in a cultural heritage perspective, and explores the potential of Augmented Reality applications in this context. The game-based AR scenarios developed for each of the two case studies are presented briefly. Finally, learners will have the opportunity to experience the Cultural Heritage AR scenarios for Choirokoitia in Cyprus and Sandby Borg in Sweden.


Unit III: Undertaking digitization
Unit 3 will first present how the Augmented Reality scenarios used in Unit 2 were created and then introduce different tutorials on creating digital content for the field of Humanities. Techniques such as chroma keying, photogrammetry, and interactive video creation are introduced.

Course developers:

Stella Hadjistassou is a Research Fellow at the KIOS CoE. She has served as the Acting Director of the Language Center (LC) for two years, where she also held a visiting lecturer position. Stella has earned a Ph.D. in Rhetoric/Composition and Linguistics (specialization in Computer Assisted Language Learning) from Arizona State University. She collaborated in various EU projects related to XR, cultural heritage, STEM, mobile learning, and teacher training. In the context of this OER, she is the work package leader for OER 6 and has been actively involved in Unit 2.


Shaunna Joannidou holds a PhD in Technology Enhanced Learning from Lancaster University. She has also served as the Acting Director of the Lanuage Centre at UCY. She specializes in Continuing Professional Development. Shaunna has delivered numerous teacher training seminars for the Ministry of Cyprus teachers and led virtual learning environments for professional development opportunities in education. Shaunna has been involved in various EU projects including VocTEL, IntlUNI, and CiELL, which won the British Council International ELTons award for Digital Innovation and received a Judges’ Commendation for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). In the context of this OER, she has been working mainly in Unit 2 and with the scenarios for the AR applications for Choirokoitia.

Petros Louca is an A’ Class IT Officer managing the Sector of Applications Development of Information Applications Service at UCY, collaborating with the KIOS CoE in EU funded research programs. He focuses on designing, developing, and deploying AR applications for educational purposes based on the curriculum, through research and innovation for achieving a higher degree of student engagement by employing immersive learning experiences. In the context of this OER, he has been the main person responsible for the design, development, and deployment of the Choirokoitia and Sandby Borg AR scenarios.


Pedro J. Molina Muñoz is a Spanish instructor at the UCY Language Centre. He earned an MA in “Information and Communication Technologies in Language Teaching and Processing” from the National Distance Education University of Spain and completed his PhD at the University of Granada. He has delivered teacher training in many institutions such as the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Cervantes Institute. He is the organizer of the “Training Days for Instructors of Spanish Language in Cyprus” and the “UCY-LC International Forum of Young Researchers.” Pedros has extensive research experience and actively participates in EU projects. His research interests are digital literacy in Higher Education and Technology Enhanced Learning. Pedros has been active in the development of Unit 2 and small-scale AR for this OER.

Romain C. Herault is a lecturer and doctoral candidate in Computer Science and Media Technology at Linnaeus University, Sweden. His research interests are Human-Computer Interactions with a focus on interactive video training for emergency medical services and hospital personnel as well as the use of interactive videos in education in the field of Digital Humanities. In the context of this OER, he has been working mainly on Unit 3, creating tutorials for interactive tools allowing students to create their own content.

Ludvig Papmehl-Dufay is an assistant professor and senior lecturer in Archaeology at Linnaeus University, Sweden. His research interests span from the mesolithic Stone Age to the early Medieval time with a geographical focus on SE Sweden and the island of Öland in particular, as well as heritage and public archaeology aspects including topics such as authenticity and heritage value, storytelling and digital communication. In the context of this OER, he has been working mainly with Unit 1 and with the scenarios for the AR application on Sandby Borg.