Educational Media to Promote healthcare Awareness through an Immersive Experience (EMPATHIE)

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Significance: EMPATHIE is a unique learning system that introduces healthcare and science concepts in an imaginative and engaging platform. The system combines an innovative motion-based game interface with software that provides an immersive experience into motor control disorders and promotes inquiry-based challenges. Importantly, lesson modules are presented to the student with a focus on design thinking and empathy to enable a positive experience for students of diverse of abilities and backgrounds. Problem to be Addressed: U.S. students rank poorly for performance in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields; the number of students who pursue STEM and healthcare careers is not sufficient to meet the needs of the modern workplace. Interactive digital media (IDM) targeted towards STEM education provide students with engaging experiences that improve learning and interest in the STEM fields. However, design of software that is effective for learning and readily applicable to classrooms is a challenging task, particularly when the goal is to engage a range of socioeconomic groups. Long-Term Goal: Improve STEM learning and interest in K-12 students from diverse backgrounds. Phase I Results: During the Phase I effort, a prototype EMPATHIE system was developed and verified to be functional with electromyography sensors in a classroom setting. Evaluation with middle school students demonstrated a statistically significant increase in science learning following the EMPATHIE lesson. Phase II Hypotheses: The SBIR Phase II program will test the hypotheses that students who complete EMPATHIE lessons, expanded for middle school life science, physical science, and engineering design, will see statistically significant increases in both science interest and learning compared to a control lesson. Phase II Summary: Barron Associates, Inc. (award-winning innovators in the field of serious video games) has partnered with educational leaders who champion design thinking and diversity in STEM for this SBIR Phase II program. The specific objectives of the Phase II program are to: (1) develop the Phase II commercial-ready electromyography game-control hardware; (2) conduct participatory design sessions to inform updated game story frameworks and engagement mechanisms targeted towards a variety of student populations and obtain feedback from teachers; (3) create lesson content, which expands the Phase I lessons for use in additional science classrooms, along with teacher training materials; (4) develop the Phase II EMPATHIE game software comprised of expanded lesson content and learning challenges; (5) perform usability testing; and (6) conduct formal assessment of learning and engagement levels with middle school students following sessions with the expanded EMPATHIE game. Impact: The system will have a significant impact on STEM education by increasing student learning and promoting interest in healthcare careers.