An Intrepretive Virtual Tour: Activities and Innovative Programs of the Museum of Education of the University of Crete (Presented at ISCHE47 Conference)

Within the framework of the major international conference ISCHE47-Athens 2026, which gathered numerous delegates from around the world, the institutional structures of the University of Crete participate once again, reinforcing the university's international outreach and its dynamic presence within the global academic community.

Specifically, the Museum of Education of the Department of Teacher Education at the University of Crete (located in Rethymno) was invited to participate in the conference with a distinct initiative. In a specially designated room, a digital virtual tour was projected, highlighting the museum's scholarly work and innovative activities.

Conference Link: https://conferences.uoa.gr/event/112/page/827-cultural-and-social-programme

The Museum of Education (MoE) of the University of Crete, supported by the Region of Crete, was founded with the aim of researching, recording, preserving, exhibiting, and scientifically studying the school educational background and the history of the teaching profession during the period of modern Greek history. It further aims at its conventional and digital promotion, its interconnection with contemporary Greek educational and school reality, and its advancement as an added European cultural value and an important historical parameter for 21st-century schooling.

It contains historical material and rare source evidence from the late 18th century to the late 20th century. The cultural education programs designed and implemented around its collections aim—through engagement with rich educational materials and heirlooms—to enhance the ties of pupils, students, teachers, and the general public with the cultural-educational history of the region and its educational past.

By utilizing exhibition material alongside the tools provided by emerging technologies, the Museum actively involves visitors in psychosomatic and kinesthetic activities, enabling them to reflect critically and creatively on the present and cultivate a universal cultural consciousness. In this manner, visitors become active participants, enhancing their museum learning and experience, while being encouraged toward an alternative, innovative reading and interpretation of museum culture.