Adriana Moscatelli - Robot Games for Girls
Presenter: Adriana Moscatelli, CEO, Play Works Studio
In 2014 Play Works Studio received funding from the National Science Foundation to advance the design of a Robot Game for girls, and to conduct a psychological study of the game in collaboration with the University of Washington’s Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences. The results of the study were encouraging: playing with the Robot Game increased girls’ efficacy and motivation in STEM. Girls who played the Robot Game reported equal motivation to boys in terms of how fun programming is, how fun robots are, and how good they perceived themselves to be with robots. In the US not enough women choose careers in STEM fields, with computer science and engineering attracting the smallest percentages: 20% female undergraduates (NSF, 2012). Interventions such as programs, games, and toys that interest girls can provide early and positive experiences with STEM concepts and help level the playing field in STEM disciplines.
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