The Virtual St. Paul’s Cathedral Project by North Carolina State University is one of the most in-depth projects I’ve seen in this class. There are literally web pages upon web pages of information on the research and development process behind the experience, and as such, it is extremely accurate to its source material. As an academic tool, there is little wrong with the project. That being said, the project’s main issue is in the accessibility and interactivity in the final product. Users can only fully experience the project when they are in one location, for starters (and I’m not fully sure if the installation is still running today). Furthermore, the final product (which I am presuming to be the digital model of the church and a sermon) cannot be fully understood (at least, to the level the creators want) without supplemental lectures and other tools. Also, in terms of interactivity, there virtually isn’t any, other than listening and watching the video. While this piece may work well in a museum, and offers a lot to learn, it’s not an interactive piece of media like Walden, and so I don’t think anyone outside of academia would actively seek out this product.
Historical Critique of St. Paul’s Cathedral Project
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