Educational Nanotechnology Videogame to Inspire Middle and High School Students to Pursue STEM Related Professional Careers

This Work in Progress Paper of the Research-to- Practice Category discusses a complementary learning tool to motivate students to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Students from middle and high schools are experiencing a lack of interest, awareness and resources to pursue careers related to science and engineering. Knowing that education is a key factor for success, an initiative was developed to attract these students into STEM careers, by using the growing and emerging field of nanotechnology as a catalyst. In this research, an educational video game was developed to motivate students to pursue STEM careers and introduce them to the world of nanotechnology. The designed video game presents information about nanotechnology using different approaches, including accurate representations of nanotechnology and other concepts at nanoscale, an engaging storyline, and an interactive game experience to involve players into the lesson. All concepts and teaching strategies are based on the Constructivism and Mindset Learning Theories. The video game provides students the opportunity of having fun while learning from the interactive menu and platformer levels. It is expected that this educational video game significantly increases the number of students to pursue STEM related careers.

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