Every photograph is accompanied by explanatory texts and captions, while the version he uses has been adapted to the needs of the museum’s educators so that students would not be distracted by reading a text at the same time as they are doing their presentation.
The VR reconstruction allows participants to see the living conditions of the Secret Annex when the Frank family was in hiding from 1942 to 1944. If you go there today, the Secret Annex is empty. Depending on the size of the group, the online tour is more or less interactive. Aaron Peterer always begins his tours with a brainstorming activity, asking participants what they know about Anne Frank. Then, during the visit, he asks and lets them guess why they think the place is unfurnished nowadays.
A moving company called Puls, that specialized in raiding and emptying out homes
of deported Jews came to the Annex. In and around Amsterdam, this represented 25,000 homes, and the company became very rich. The furniture was gone. Otto Frank was the only survivor of the eight people who had been in hiding. When he returned, he actually got
the news from the Red Cross that both his daughters and wife had been murdered
in the camps. So, he knew his immediate family were murdered, and this left emptiness
in his heart. When the museum opened and there was no furniture in there, this emptiness
of the Secret Annex actually reflected the emptiness in Otto Frank’s heart.
In the reconstruction of the Secret Annex, the museum decided to include very personal details and objects for participants to better understand the personalities of the people
who were in hiding and connect with their stories. Some of these objects are on display
in the actual museum in Amsterdam. In one of the rooms, it is very easy to make a connection with students by showing the height charts of Anne and her sister during their years in hiding. Everyone, even today, is accustomed to measuring their growth by marking it on the wall. Thanks to this example, students can relate to Anne Frank. This wallpaper still bears these marks in the museum today. In Anne Frank’s room, students can see the pictures she hung
on the wall of her favorite subjects, such as the English Royal Family, which is comparable
to posters and pictures in a teenager’s room today. They can connect over these specific details.
A conference participant wanted to know if the museum is using the animated movie “Where is Anne Frank?” and what they think of it. Aaron Peterer said that he is not using it in his educational work, but if it engages students and serves as a gateway to Anne Frank’s story,
it should be considered. Tools have to be adapted to today's students for the message to be effectively conveyed. The same goes for the “Anne Frank video diary.” It seemed strange
to him at first to see Anne Frank going around filming herself in selfie mode, but when he saw the positive effect it had on his students, he felt compelled to reconsider this tool. It is important to listen to what the students like. The VR experience slightly resembles a video game to align with students' expectations. We need to adapt to our times; this is what younger generations are drawn to, using, and expecting from us. However, the online version by no means replaces a regular visit to the museum. It is an educational tool that brings
the museum closer to students and visitors who can't physically visit.