Demystifying Trinil: Designing an Inquiry-Based Web Virtual Museum for Inclusive Lifelong Learning in Prehistory

Arsyananda Rabbani

The Trinil site in East Java is globally renowned for the discovery of Homo erectus, yet translating its complex paleoanthropological significance to the public frequently relies on static museum displays. To align with UN SDGs 4 promoting inclusive quality education and lifelong learning—this paper presents the conceptualization and storyboarding of an interactive, Web-Based Virtual Museum for Trinil. Drawing upon university-level prehistory pedagogy, this project focuses specifically on the Analysis and Design phases of the ADDIE instructional design framework to bridge the gap between formal academic training and informal public outreach. Rather than offering a passive digital tour, the virtual museum’s storyboard is driven by an Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) model. The planned application is designed to guide users through active scientific processes: simulated site exploration, digital artifact classification, and paleoenvironmental reconstruction. To realize this immersive experience, the design outlines the technical blueprint for utilizing 3D assets modelled in Blender within the Unity game engine, specifically optimized for cross-platform web browser access via smartphones and PCs. By detailing how formal educational models can be adapted for digital science communication, this project serves as a strategic plan to demystify the archaeologist’s toolkit. As a conceptual framework, this paper establishes the foundational pedagogical and technical blueprints; the subsequent development, implementation, and empirical evaluation of the platform’s efficacy will be the subject of future research.