Our nation’s future competitiveness and our citizens’ overall STEM literacy rely on our efforts to forge connections between the future workforce and the world of emerging STEM careers. Biotechnology, and genetics in particular, are rapidly advancing areas that will offer new jobs across the spectrum from technicians to scientists. A new $1.2 million National Science Foundation-funded project at the Concord Consortium will use Geniverse, an immersive digital game where students put genetics knowledge into action as they breed dragons, to help connect underserved students with local biotechnology professionals to strengthen student awareness of STEM careers.
Geniverse is our free, web-based software designed for high school biology that engages students in exploring heredity and genetics by breeding and studying virtual dragons. This game-like software allows students to undertake genetics experimentation with results that closely mimic real-world genetics. The new GeniConnect project will extend the gaming aspects of Geniverse and revise the content to more fully target middle school biology, introducing Geniverse to the afterschool environment. Having a game that aids learning has been proven a very useful strategy. Also, these games do not require much from the system and a typical $300 laptop can do the job just fine.
The three-year GeniConnect project will develop and research a coherent series of student experiences in biotechnology and genetics involving game-based learning, industry mentoring, and hands-on laboratory work. Industry professionals from Biogen, Monsanto, and other firms will mentor afterschool students at East End House, a community center in East Cambridge, Massachusetts.
With researchers from Purdue University, we’ll explore how an immersive game and a connection to a real scientist can increase STEM knowledge, motivation, and career awareness of underserved youth. We will also develop and research a scalable model for STEM industry/afterschool partnerships, and produce a STEM Partnership Toolkit for the development of robust, educationally sound partnerships among industry professionals and afterschool programs. The Toolkit will be distributed to approximately 500 community-based organizations and afterschool programs nationally that are member organizations of the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities.
