The Effects of Game-Based Learning on STEM Career Awareness for Elementary Aged Girls

In this Institute of Education Sciences (IES) funded project, the research team developed a prototype for a game-based multi-stage STEM career exploration platform called Dear Smart Girl: Adventures in Ingenia aimed at promoting STEM Career Literacy in elementary-aged girls. The platform combines an online game-based curriculum with offline kits, featuring a module on electrical engineering. Learners solve real-world problems in a virtual world designed to engage girls and then apply their knowledge by completing a physical project. A pilot study with 112 girls aged 8 to 12 assessed engagement and knowledge transfer from the game simulation (implicit learning) to the hands-on project (explicit learning). Results showed increased knowledge of circuits, career awareness, and self-efficacy. The findings suggest that game play may enhance knowledge transfer to real-life circuit-building and career awareness.