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Title: A Bayesian Analysis of Adolescent STEM Interest Using Minecraft
Minecraft continues to be a popular digital game throughout the world, and the ways in which adolescents play can provide insight into their existing interests. Through informal summer camps using Minecraft to expose middle school students to concepts in astronomy and earth science, we collected self-reports of STEM and Minecraft interest, as well as behavioral log data through player in-game interactions. Finding relationships between in-game behaviors and individual interest can provide insight into how educational experiences in digital games might be designed to support learner interests and competencies in STEM. Bayesian model averaging of data across camps was implemented to address the relatively small sample size of the data. Results revealed the important role of existing interest and knowledge for developing and sustaining interest.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1906873
PAR ID:
10559937
Author(s) / Creator(s):
;
Editor(s):
Wang, N; Rebolledo-Mendez, G; Dimitrova, V; Matsuda, N; Santos, O C
Publisher / Repository:
Springer
Date Published:
Volume:
1831
ISBN:
978-3-031-36335-1
Page Range / eLocation ID:
384 - 389
Subject(s) / Keyword(s):
digital games, informal science learning, interest development, Bayesian analysis
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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