Virtual Tours

A virtual tour, according to Wikipedia, is "a simulation of an existing location, usually composed of a sequence of video images"--http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_tour. Virtual tours are computer-generated and great for educational and informational purposes because they allow the viewer to feel as if they are actually walking through the space being displayed. For so many people who do not have the immediate ability/opportunity to go and study a particular place that, virtual tours prove to be more than satisfactory. Additionally, these tours allow people today to visually experience historic sites and landmarks that may no longer be standing as they once did (such as the Parthenon) or even exist (such as an ancient Roman city).

Virtual tours would be a phenomenal addition to an art classroom, especially when exploring art history. I know there are virtual tours of the Vatican and Stonehenge which would be great for my students to explore in a three-dimensional outlook. The Vatican is home to hundreds of works from the Renaissance and Stonehenge is fundamental in studying the arts, being one of the earliest architectural constructs in history.

A list of pros:
- Provide access to view and learn about particular places that are not immediately/conveniently nearby.
- People can peruse locations at a pace that pleases them.
- Destroyed, extinct, or restricted locations can be recreated to experience once again.
- Simple and easy to access.
- A captivating change from just viewing pictures in a book, printed document, or on the Web.

A list of cons:
- Not everyone may have computer accessibility to particpate.
- Some angels of the space being viewed may not be recorded in the virtual tour; limiting field of vision.
- A virtual tour is not the actual place--thus, the 'nit-bit' details and actual environment will not be fully experienced.