SBIR-STTR Award

Significance: EMPATHIE is a unique learning system that introduces healthcare and science concepts in an imaginative and engaging platform. The system combines an innovative motion?based game interface with software that provides an immersive experience into motor control disorders and promotes inquiry?based challenges. Importantly, these lesson modules are presented to the student using design thinking philosophy to enable a positive experience for students of diverse of abilities and backgrounds. Problem to be Addressed: U.S. students rank poorly for performance in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields when compared to other countries. The number of students who pursue STEM and healthcare careers is not sufficient to meet the needs of the modern workplace. Interactive digital media (IDM) targeted towards STEM education provide students with engaging experiences that improve learning and interest in the STEM fields. However, design of software that is effective for learning and readily applicable to classrooms is a challenging task. Of particular concern is the need to develop tools that are relevant to a range of socioeconomic groups, in order to increase diversity in STEM fields. Long?Term Goal: Improve STEM learning and interest in students from a range of diverse backgrounds. Phase I Hypotheses: The SBIR Phase I program will test the hypotheses that students who complete EMPATHIE lessons will see statistically significant increases in both science interest and learning. Phase I Summary: Barron Associates, Inc. (award?winning innovators in the field of serious video games) has partnered with educational leaders who champion design thinking and diversity in STEM for this SBIR Phase I program to demonstrate the feasibility of the EMPATHIE system. The specific objectives of the Phase I program are to: (1) conduct participatory design sessions to inform the game story framework and engagement mechanisms targeted towards a variety of student populations; (2) develop the Phase I EMPATHIE lesson content focused on learning standards for middle school science classes, including life science, physical science, and engineering design; (3) develop the EMPATHIE software that integrates the game content, lesson content, and motion?based interfaces; and (4) perform pilot testing of learning and engagement levels with middle school students following game play. Successful Phase I prototype game development will lay the foundation for the Phase II effort, which will include development of a commercial product that expands lesson options to include high school grade levels, and wide?scale evaluation of the EMPATHIE system. Impact: The system will have a significant impact on STEM education by increasing student learning and promoting interest in healthcare careers.

Public Health Relevance Statement:
PROJECT NARRATIVE The proposed EMPATHIE system is an innovative educational game environment that leads students through lesson modules to introduce science concepts using an immersive and engaging platform. The EMPATHIE system promises to enhance STEM education by: (1) providing novel and exciting STEM content through science lessons and a unique electromyography game interface; (2) ensuring lessons are engaging and relevant to students from under?represented groups by including them in game development through a participatory design process; and (3) incorporating design thinking concepts with a focus on developing empathy by placing students in the role of a patient dealing with daily challenges.

Project Terms:
Address; Architecture; Award; Awareness; base; Biological Sciences; career; Computer software; Country; Data; design; Development; digital media; disability; disorder control; Educational Curriculum; Electromyography; elementary school; Empathy; engineering design; Ensure; Environment; Evaluation; evidence base; experience; Fostering; Foundations; game development; Goals; Healthcare; high school; Imagination; Immersion Investigative Technique; improved; Individual; innovation; inquiry-based learning; Instruction; interest; junior high school; Learning; learning engagement; Learning Module; Life; mathematical learning; mathematics content; Medical; Middle School Student; Modeling; Modernization; Motion; Motor; motor control; new technology; novel; Patients; Performance; personalized learning; Phase; Philosophy; physical science; Play; Population; Problem Solving; Process; programs; prototype; Research; Role; Science; Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics; Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education; sensor; Small Business Innovation Research Grant; Societies; socioeconomics; Software Design; Students; System; Teacher Professional Development; Teaching Materials; Technology; Testing; theories; Thinking; tool; Training; Underrepresented Students; Video Games; Wireless Technology; Work; Workplace

Significance: EMPATHIE is a unique learning system that introduces healthcare and science concepts in animaginative and engaging platform. The system combines an innovative motion-based game interface withsoftware that provides an immersive experience into motor control disorders and promotes inquiry-basedchallenges. Importantly, lesson modules are presented to the student with a focus on design thinking andempathy to enable a positive experience for students of diverse of abilities and backgrounds.Problem to be Addressed: U.S. students rank poorly for performance in science, technology, engineering, andmath (STEM) fields; the number of students who pursue STEM and healthcare careers is not sufficient to meetthe needs of the modern workplace. Interactive digital media (IDM) targeted towards STEM education providestudents with engaging experiences that improve learning and interest in the STEM fields. However, design ofsoftware that is effective for learning and readily applicable to classrooms is a challenging task, particularlywhen the goal is to engage a range of socioeconomic groups.Long-Term Goal: Improve STEM learning and interest in K-12 students from diverse backgrounds.Phase I Results: During the Phase I effort, a prototype EMPATHIE system was developed and verified to befunctional with electromyography sensors in a classroom setting. Evaluation with middle school studentsdemonstrated a statistically significant increase in science learning following the EMPATHIE lesson.Phase II Hypotheses: The SBIR Phase II program will test the hypotheses that students who completeEMPATHIE lessons, expanded for middle school life science, physical science, and engineering design, will seestatistically significant increases in both science interest and learning compared to a control lesson.Phase II : Barron Associates, Inc. (award-winning innovators in the field of serious video games) haspartnered with educational leaders who champion design thinking and diversity in STEM for this SBIR Phase IIprogram. The specific objectives of the Phase II program are to: (1) develop the Phase II commercial-readyelectromyography game-control hardware; (2) conduct participatory design sessions to inform updated gamestory frameworks and engagement mechanisms targeted towards a variety of student populations and obtainfeedback from teachers; (3) create lesson content, which expands the Phase I lessons for use in additional scienceclassrooms, along with teacher training materials; (4) develop the Phase II EMPATHIE game software comprisedof expanded lesson content and learning challenges; (5) perform usability testing; and (6) conduct formalassessment of learning and engagement levels with middle school students following sessions with theexpanded EMPATHIE game.Impact: The system will have a significant impact on STEM education by increasing student learning andpromoting interest in healthcare careers.

Public Health Relevance Statement:
PROJECT NARRATIVE The proposed EMPATHIE system is an innovative educational game environment that leads students through lesson modules to introduce science concepts using an immersive and engaging platform. The EMPATHIE system will enhance STEM education by: (1) providing novel and exciting STEM content through science lessons and a unique electromyography game interface; (2) ensuring lessons are engaging and relevant to students from under-represented groups by including them in game development through a participatory design process; and (3) incorporating design thinking concepts with a focus on developing empathy by placing students in the role of a patient dealing with daily challenges.

Project Terms: