Gamification for Cultural Heritage Education: A Case Study on Learning Through Digital

In higher education one of the ongoing challenges is designing learning experiences that meaningfully engage students while fostering both technical skills and cultural awareness. Reconstruction in Minecraft Italy boasts a rich and diverse cultural heritage that requires increasingly effective strategies for promotion and enhancement. However, many cultural sites remain unknown or under-visited, such as Villa Regina, an archaeological site connected to the Pompeii Archaeological Park but located outside its main area. To address this challenge, new technologies, including gamification approaches, can serve as innovative tools for cultural heritage valorization. Numerous examples demonstrate the effectiveness of gamification in this field, but further research and experimentation are needed to explore its potential fully. In this context, this study presents an innovative educational experience developed within a university course, where students engaged in the virtual reconstruction of Villa Regina's archaeological spaces within the Minecraft gaming environment. Through this activity, students acquired computer graphics principles and deepened their knowledge of the archaeological site, creating a virtual space that enhances cultural heritage. In addition to final assessments, a satisfaction questionnaire was administered to evaluate the effectiveness of the activity, yielding highly positive results. This study demonstrates how gamification can effectively promote cultural heritage and student education, fostering greater awareness and appreciation for lesser-known cultural sites.