Simulating Digital Classics in Classical Teaching

Abstract

In the 21st century, Classical Archaeology is making more and more use of digital tools and methods. This tendency towards a future field of “Digital Classics” requires participation not only as users, but also as developers. For this reason, the required qualification profile for a student of Classical Archaeology is changing and academic teaching at universities is confronted with new challenges. Our presentation tackles this issue by suggesting a new teaching concept that focuses especially on the pivotal skills that are needed to use and develop digital methods within an interdisciplinary team. It is based on the didactic model of a simulation game. This simulation is attached to a (real) interdisciplinary research project. In this way it offers the possibility of a structured process model and challenges the participants’ skills of interaction and complex decision-making. The result is a realistic environment whose demands, means and conditions of action support the assessment and evaluation of academic expectations in multidisciplinary professional situations