Description
Lost in La Mancha is an online video game designed to help English speakers learn Spanish. It is based on a methodology that combines various learning strategies, such as problem solving and language use in everyday situations, with activities to be completed and access to course content. This educational initiative revolves around and is presented in the format of a serious game based on the adventures of its main character, Collin, who receives a gift from his company to take part in an experimental project that will enable him to learn Spanish and in which he will have to survive in an immersive recreation of the city of Toledo in Castile-La Mancha (hence the game’s title).
The video game’s content is based on the level-A1 Spanish syllabus taught at the Instituto Cervantes (equivalent to international certification for Spanish as a second language).
In addition to the use of a video game and an immersive world as an educational strategy, this project’s value lies in the fact that it has been designed to be accessible via different channels and devices, including the internet and a whole range of mobile devices (iPods, tablets, smartphones, etc.).
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Chen, S., Michael, D.: Proof of Learning: Assessment in Serious Games. Gamasutra (site on video game creation and development) (2005), http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20051019/chen_01.shtml
Dutchuk, M., Muhammadi, K.A., Lin, F.: Multi-Agent Game-Style Learning Activity. In: Chang, M., Kuo, R., Kinshuk, Chen, G.-D., Hirose, M. (eds.) Edutainment 2009. LNCS, vol. 5670, pp. 263–272. Springer, Heidelberg (2009)
Green, M., McNeese, M.N.: Using Edutainment Software to Enhance Online Learning. International Journal on E-Learning 6(1), 5–16 (2007), http://www.editlib.org/p/6317
Maniega, D., Yanez, P., Lara, P.: Uso de un videojuego inmersivo online 3D para el aprendizaje del español: el caso de Lost in La Mancha. Icono 14. Revista de Comunicación y Nuevas Tecnologías (2011) (forthcoming)
Moreno-Ger, P., Burgos, D., Torrente, J.: Digital Games in eLearning Environments: Current Uses and Emerging Trends. Simulation Gaming (40), 669–687 (2009), http://sag.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/40/5/669
Pastor, L.: Funiversity. Els mitjans de comunicació canvien la universitat. Editorial UOC, Barcelona (2010)
Resnick, M.: Edutainment? No Thanks. I Prefer Playful Learning. MIT Media Lab (2004), http://web.media.mit.edu/~mres/papers/edutainment.pdf
Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, The UOC’s educational model: evolution and future perspectives (2009), http://issuu.com/innovauoc/docs/uoc-educational-model
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Yanez, P., Mas, X. (2012). Lost in La Mancha: A Mobile Serious Game Experience for Language Training. In: De Wannemacker, S., Vandercruysse, S., Clarebout, G. (eds) Serious Games: The Challenge. ITEC/CIP/T 2011. Communications in Computer and Information Science, vol 280. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-33814-4_12
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-33814-4_12
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-33813-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-33814-4
eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)