The United States faces significant shortfalls recruiting and producing the healthcareprofessionals. In addition to staff shortages, the workforce is also burdened by a lack of racialand ethnic diversity. As a potential counter to these widening gaps, Liiingo's healthcare careerexploration game, Upward Knowbility, is a novel tool for secondary students to learn aboutcareer options. Upward Knowbility will support youth, including those from diverse economicand cultural backgrounds, in pursuing healthcare careers by aligning their interests tohealthcare professions and granting insight into particulars of job. The "choose your ownadventure'-style game will include scenario-based decision making, quizzes, video interviewswith healthcare professionals, and written content to share pertinent information about careeroptions. In this Phase I proposal, Liiingo will undertake the following Specific Aims (SA). SA1:Define a working prototype. Liiingo will assemble a Product Advisory Board (PAB) ofstakeholders with expertise in healthcare, education, and STEM. Together, this group willemploy a User-Centered Design process and define the criterion for content to be integratedinto the prototyped product. Using the criteria, project staff will gather content through research,video interviews with healthcare professionals, and extant data. Staff will also developsupportive lesson plans for educators. SA2: Develop a functional prototype. The UpwardKnowbility app will be built in Liiingo's proprietary platform that deploys applications via mobiledevices in users native language. Simultaneous to SA1, Liiingo will begin software developmentof additional in-platform functionality necessary to support the product. Gathered content will betranslated and added to the platform to construct a viable product prototype. Liiingo will utilizeboth automated and manual testing methods to ensure the functionality of the app. SA3: Testand evaluate the prototype. Liiingo will then pilot Upward Knowbility with secondary students(i.e., English- and Spanish-speaking learners) at pilot sites (N = 100). Data will be collected fromstudents to measure changes in healthcare career knowledge and gather feedback regardingthe product satisfaction. Data will be combined with user analytics to gauge product viability,explore prototype refinement, and inform a Phase II proposal. The PAB will review datagathered to inform product development and describe a Phase II plan. Liiingo believes UpwardKnowbility has the potential to significantly expand healthcare and STEM career explorationopportunities in all communities by providing a clear, accessible roadmap to prosperity throughin-demand, well-compensated healthcare careers.
Public Health Relevance Statement: Project Narrative
Upward Knowbility will impart critical career and education information through a game-based
exploration of the healthcare field to secondary students from diverse economic and ethnic
backgrounds in a new, engaging way. With this knowledge and information, more students will
be inspired to align coursework and pursue healthcare professions. Ultimately, these diverse
students could help reduce the projected workforce shortages, and offer improved care while
meeting the ever-expanding cultural and linguistic healthcare needs of the public.
Project Terms:
