| Description | Southern Illinois University's Digital Narratives Lab has begun a collaboration with Assistant Professor of Digital Media Arts & Animation, Kevin Mercer, and Associate Languages & Linguistics Professor, Lourdes Albuixech, to develop a fantastical Spanish language VR escape room. Ancient, slightly surreal, Aztec and Mayan environments populated with logic and language-based puzzles await students. The currently unnamed project will function as an opportunity for undergraduate Spanish students to immerse themselves in an entertaining space designed to challenge their language acquisition and reinforce learning objectives of an otherwise pedagogically traditional language course. Key developmental consideration is paid to designing for an audience of intersectionally diverse students with a broad range of player ability rather than a commercial market. In the spring 2023 semester, this project will be deployed in Professor Albuixech's course. The project adapts and expands Professor Albuixech "genial.ly" 2D browser-based escape room created in the spring 2022 semester. |
