Promoting Healthcare Careers Through Interactive Digital Media STEM Exploration

Project Summary The United States faces significant shortfalls recruiting and producing the healthcare professionals. In addition to staff shortages, the workforce is also burdened by a lack of racial and ethnic diversity. As a potential counter to these widening gaps, Liiingo’s healthcare career exploration game, Upward Knowbility, is a novel tool for secondary students to learn about career options. Upward Knowbility will support youth, including those from diverse economic and cultural backgrounds, in pursuing healthcare careers by aligning their interests to healthcare professions and granting insight into particulars of job. The ‘choose your own adventure’-style game will include scenario-based decision making, quizzes, video interviews with healthcare professionals, and written content to share pertinent information about career options. In this Phase I proposal, Liiingo will undertake the following Specific Aims (SA). SA1: Define a working prototype. Liiingo will assemble a Product Advisory Board (PAB) of stakeholders with expertise in healthcare, education, and STEM. Together, this group will employ a User-Centered Design process and define the criterion for content to be integrated into the prototyped product. Using the criteria, project staff will gather content through research, video interviews with healthcare professionals, and extant data. Staff will also develop supportive lesson plans for educators. SA2: Develop a functional prototype. The Upward Knowbility app will be built in Liiingo’s proprietary platform that deploys applications via mobile devices in users native language. Simultaneous to SA1, Liiingo will begin software development of additional in-platform functionality necessary to support the product. Gathered content will be translated and added to the platform to construct a viable product prototype. Liiingo will utilize both automated and manual testing methods to ensure the functionality of the app. SA3: Test and evaluate the prototype. Liiingo will then pilot Upward Knowbility with secondary students (i.e., English- and Spanish-speaking learners) at pilot sites (N = 100). Data will be collected from students to measure changes in healthcare career knowledge and gather feedback regarding the product satisfaction. Data will be combined with user analytics to gauge product viability, explore prototype refinement, and inform a Phase II proposal. The PAB will review data gathered to inform product development and describe a Phase II plan. Liiingo believes Upward Knowbility has the potential to significantly expand healthcare and STEM career exploration opportunities in all communities by providing a clear, accessible roadmap to prosperity through in-demand, well-compensated healthcare careers.