Increasing STEM Career Interest in Middle Schoolers Through a Health-Themed Serious Game

Authors

  • Jasminka Vukanovic-Criley Indelible Learning, UCLA VCF
  • Benjamin Emihovich California State University Los Angeles, California, United States
  • Nelson Roque Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania, United States
  • Williams Criley Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
  • Richard Criley
  • Stuart Criley
  • Jasmine Alagoz

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.34190/ecgbl.19.1.4098

Keywords:

STEM career exploration, game-based learning in education, serious games for middle school, health science education, student engagement in STEM, online educational games, learning games, sleep, health, health careers, 21st century skills, critical thinking

Abstract

The U.S. continues to face a shortage of students entering Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers, including healthcare professions. Developing and strengthening a pipeline of programs, starting as early as middle school, to engage students in STEM and explore future STEM careers leading into higher education is a critical need. Game-based learning offers a promising approach to spark interest in STEM fields, especially when classroom access to careers or real-world contexts is limited. One solution is the use of a well-designed, online, scalable serious game that empowers students to explore different health science careers otherwise inaccessible to typical middle schoolers. This study examines the educational impact of End of Imperial, a serious online medical mystery game that allows students to roleplay as police detectives solving a fatal crash while collaborating with science and healthcare professionals. During gameplay, students identify clues and solve challenges across multiple settings, from the crash site to the hospital and beyond. Middle school students from three distinct school environments—urban public, urban charter, and suburban public—played the game and completed a post-survey capturing changes in STEM career interest and health-related behaviors. Data collection used a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree) to measure impressions immediately after gameplay. "Interest" was a measure of interest in health and science careers; "learning" measured self-perceived learning gains. Results across all locations showed a significant increase in health and science career interest. Students not only enjoyed the game but also reported substantial learning gains and increased confidence in science. In addition, students’ awareness of healthy sleep habits, a key theme in the mystery, was increased. The game’s community-based character representation, realistic narrative, and immersive roleplay contributed to engagement and learning. Findings suggest that serious games can positively influence middle school learners’ attitudes toward STEM careers and personal health decisions when designed with authenticity and social relevance in mind. Overall, results indicated that the interactive game was well-received, playable across diverse communities, and strongly increased students’ interest in STEM careers.

Author Biographies

Jasminka Vukanovic-Criley, Indelible Learning, UCLA VCF

Dr. Jasminka Criley is an award-winning hospital physician, med school professor, and EdTech entrepreneur who creates research-based games that inspire learning, healthy habits, and future-ready skills. She leads Indelible Learning and co-created number of programs including Election Lab and Bubble Beats Trainer learning games, covering presidential elections, infection prevention, sleep health, and other vital topics.

Benjamin Emihovich, California State University Los Angeles, California, United States

Benjamin Emihovich PhD is an Associate Professor of Educational Technology at the College of Education at California State University, Los Angeles. He currently teaches undergraduate and graduate students in the field of Instructional Design and Technology. His research focuses on game-based learning, virtual reality, universal design for learning and emerging technologies. 

Nelson Roque, Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania, United States

Studies at Penn State, affiliated with the Social Science Research Institute and Center for Healthy Aging. His research focuses on cognitive psychology, aging, and mobile monitoring, and how interactive technology and environment affect cognition across the lifespan.

Williams Criley, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States

Williams Criley has 11+ years of experience creating educational apps and programs in health, science, and civics for K–12 and gifted education. Since 2014, he has designed, developed, and presented interactive learning tools nationwide, combining a passion for games with expertise in educational technology to inspire healthier living.

Richard Criley

Richard Criley, a graduate from the University of California, Berkeley, has dedicated many years to advancing K–12 health, science, and civics education. He helped design and develop interactive programs, created impactful lessons, and delivered engaging presentations nationwide. A dynamic speaker and educator, his work has inspired students, teachers, and communities alike.

Stuart Criley

Stuart Criley, MBA, has 25+ years of expertise developing educational websites, apps, and health, science, and election programs across higher education, biomedical, and K-12 fields. As NIH Principal Investigator, he pioneered medical interactive technologies. Since 2009, he has led workshops, research, and presentations on transformational learning games from primary through graduate education.

Jasmine Alagoz

Jasmine Alagoz holds degree in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention from the University of Southern California. She is a children’s book author and national conference presenter. She conducted several research projects across the United States and at Oxford University, aiming to reduce education and health disparities in her medical career.

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Published

2025-09-26

Issue

Vol. 19 No. 1 (2025): The Proceedings of the 19th European Conference on Games Based Learning

Section

Academic Papers