Walking in a Virtual Town to Understand and Learning About the Life in the Middle Ages

Abstract

Edutainment refers to any form of entertainment aimed at an educational role; it enhances the learning environment and makes it much more engaging and fun-filled. The videogame is one of the most exciting and immediate tools of the edutainment applications since the game enables a type of multisensory and immersive relationship of the user through its interactive interface; Virtual Reality technology makes possible to create applications for edutainment purposes and to integrate different learning approaches. One of the important applications of edutainment is the reconstruction of 3D environments aimed at the study of cultural heritage. This paper presents some results of the MediaEvo Project that has led the researchers to use the reconstruction of a town in the Middle Ages in order to develop a multi-channel and multi-sensory platform for the edutainment in Cultural Heritage. MediaEvo project has permitted a didactic experimentation whereby simulation is considered as a precious teaching support tool. The educational MediaEvo game has prompted students to participate in and experience in a simulated and immersive environment of a town in the Middle Ages in order to connect the recreational actions, and to critically discover roles, functions and actions referring to Medieval life.