Using the Sims 3 for Narrative Construction in Secondary Education

In this chapter, the authors explore an innovative educational classroom scenario where commercial video games are used as an educational tool. They analyse an experiment involving students between the ages of 12 and 13, during the second semester of 2010, in a “Language and Literature” class of a Spanish Secondary School. The main aim of this chapter is to develop new literacies through new educational strategies. These relate commercial video games with the curriculum in order to improve students’ specific cultural competences and social skills. The authors show how the social simulation video game “The Sims 3” can be used as a learning resource for students to create narratives and descriptions using a variety of media.