Georgia College art students experience art history in a whole new dimension using 3-D technology.
3-D technology
brings art to life
While three-dimensional (3-D) technology in movies has been around since the 1950s, the release of the 2009 film Avatar showcased 3-D technology like never before. Avatar captured the attention of the world and broke the all-time box office sales record, earning nearly $3 billion worldwide. Now, Georgia College is bringing this same technology to the classroom to transform the way professors teach. “A traditional art history lecture might involve a group of students sitting at desks looking at a static representation of a work of art,” said Bill Fisher, associate professor and chair of the Department of Art. Now students will receive a 3-D experience where their interaction with history could completely change, Fisher said. Instead of looking at a photograph of a monument or architectural relic from a single point of view, students will now examine it from a variety of angles and perspectives. “Imagine where you’re able to fly over and walk through a historical monument,” said Fisher. “With this type of technology we can now enter a building, grab a column, label the parts, examine and discuss the various architectural elements.” This 3-D technology will take Georgia College students
in art history classes through architectural marvels such as the Acropolis and Parthenon in Greece and the Pantheon in Rome. “We try in every way we can to mentally transport students to a historical site,” said Dr. Elissa Auerbach, assistant professor of art history. “Our students now will have the perspective of someone who is actually at the Acropolis — not in 2011, but in a 3-D model of its original state.” While the technology is making its debut at Georgia College in art, it is in no way limited to that subject. Fisher sees the benefits of 3-D learning in many areas, including biology, chemistry and world history. Eventually, students will be able to create their own 3-D models to explore. Imagine touring a 3-D version of Georgia’s Old Governor’s Mansion as it was in 1860, or walking through downtown Milledgeville in the 1930s. Ultimately, Fisher says, it’s about getting students engaged with their subject. “This technology provides additional visual information to understand the construction of these great monuments and the environment that they occupy. This is going to create excitement and keep students engaged in the classroom.”
14 • ENGAGED LEARNING | GEORGIA COLLEGE