An Australian Overview: The Creation and Use of 3D Models in Australian Universities

Digital modelling of heritage objects is a growing area of teaching and research in the archaeology departments of Australian universities, with major institutions investing in evolving production techniques, archival principles, research methodologies, and teaching practices. The growth in Object-Based Learning as a pedagogical principle in archaeological classes coincided during the COVID-19 pandemic with a ‘digital stampede’ to produce online-accessible digital resources to facilitate continued object-based learning practices under remote learning conditions. Since the removal of lockdown requirements, digitisation programs have continued across many Australian institutions, although these programs are often exercised piecemeal and in isolation from one another. Without established best practices in the digitisation of archaeological collections, it is likely that institutions are developing their own workflows, methodologies, and practices that may not be easily adaptable, raising concerns over the future-proofing of produced models to be shared, studied, and archived between institutions. This paper proposes to bring together academics and technicians working at different universities across Australia to share their techniques and practices in the interest of encouraging a dialogue on best practices.

The creation of digital 3D models from heritage collections can be accomplished through a variety of approaches, with structure-from-motion photogrammetric modelling, structured light scanning, and laser scanning being the most commonly adopted in university settings. The method of digitisation influences the nature and characteristics of the produced model, which has implications for how the model is used in teaching and research. The array of methodologies that have been adopted by prominent academic institutions such as the University of New England, University of Melbourne, Monash University, and the University of Sydney will be discussed whilst also examining the consequential impact of these selections.

The diverse approaches to the digitisation and digital archiving of archaeological collections also prompt us to reflect on current teaching and learning practices in archaeology (Chatterjee et al. 2015). Technologies occupy an important place in archaeological education and techniques for computer-aided digital visualisations have been employed and evolved in archaeological classrooms for more than 30 years. The proliferation of digital collections has made digital objects more accessible and familiar, and online or ‘blended’ learning encourages the integration of digital collections in course materials. Recent evaluations have also indicated teaching advantages in the use of 3D digital models of archaeological collections through improved outcomes in both learning and engagement (Pollalis et al. 2018). The diversity of digital data is a strength and a challenge for teachers and students, and we are interested in how institutions and educators can best encourage students of archaeology to be constructive, critical users and creators of digital data. We comment on the integration of 3D models in object-based learning and inquiry-based pedagogy and consider the role of digital replicas in promoting ‘deep learning’ (Derudas & Berggren 2021). We also investigate the use of 3D models to contribute to digital literacy—the ability to use, understand and communicate about digital tools—and data literacy, building practical skills and promoting fluency in the wider intellectual and ethical frameworks of digital collections creation and research.