Case Study: United States Military Academy brings Caesar’s battlefields to life with Google Expeditions

West Point professor leads cadets onto Caesar’s ancient battlefields with Google Expeditions

The United States Military Academy at West Point wanted a better way to teach cadets how terrain and battlefield conditions shape military decisions. Using Google for Education’s Google Expeditions and Google Cardboard, instructors created virtual reality battlefield tours to help students understand Julius Caesar’s Gallic War beyond maps and textbooks.

Google for Education’s solution let cadets “walk” ancient battlefields such as Alesia, Gergovia, and Bibracte from the classroom using 360-degree photos and VR tours. The result was stronger engagement and deeper comprehension: students described the experience as memorable, and they applied what they learned in papers, quizzes, midterms, and final exams. The project also improved cadets’ appreciation of terrain and human factors in battle, with lasting value for future military leaders.

United States Military Academy

Antonio “Tony” Salinas

Assistant Professor