Diseño y desarrollo de un juego educativo para ordenador sobre enfermedades tropicales y salud internacional: una herramienta docente más de apoyo al profesor universitario.

Teachers of the Microbiology and Parasitology and Computer Science Departments (University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain) have collaborated for two years in the analysis, design and implementation of a virtual learning game, understood as an instrument to enhance the dissemination of various concepts related to Tropical Diseases and International Health, in an easy and enjoyable environment. The game is targeted to university students as a learning tool to support this teaching (reinforcement, self-concept and incorporate virtual platform...). During this time we have worked pedagogical and technical issues as a whole, developing the concept of Play-Learning in a scientific environment, so that the contents and teaching methods are disseminated through art technology but accessible. The design simulates a board game with dice and feed boxes with different levels of difficulty (low, medium and high), and random questions that the player must answer correctly to advance. The levels of difficulty make the game challenge within limits but not desperate. At the end of the route is received and useful information on the subject of the game. It is designed to be multi-user (up to four players), bilingual (English/Spanish, with possibility of extending into other languages) and two implementation options: stand-alone and online. The game is to be expanded for use on mobile. Future adjustment to the different areas of knowledge (parasitology, history, chemistry, physics, etc) only involves changing the user interface and the selection criteria of the questions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]