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Curricula enhanced through the use of digital games can benefit students in their interest and learning of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) concepts. Elementary teachers’ likelihood to embrace and use game-enhanced instructional approaches with integrity in mathematics has not been extensively studied. In this study, a sequential mixed methods design was employed to investigate the feasibility of a game-enhanced supplemental fraction curriculum in elementary classrooms, including how teachers implemented the curriculum, their perspectives and experiences as they used it, and their students’ resulting fraction learning and STEM interest. Teachers implemented the supplemental curriculum with varying adherence but had common experiences throughout their implementation. Teachers expressed experiences related to (1) time, (2) curriculum being too different, and (3) too difficult for students. Their strategies to handle those phenomena varied. Teachers that demonstrated higher adherence to the game-enhanced supplemental fraction curriculum had students that displayed higher STEM interest and fraction learning. While this study helps to better understand elementary teachers’ experiences with game-enhanced mathematics curricula, implications for further research and program development are also discussed. 

People with disabilities are underrepresented in STEM as well as information, communication, and technology (ICT) careers. The underrepresentation of individuals with disabilities in STEM may reflect systemic issues of access. Curricular materials that allow students to demonstrate their current fraction knowledge through multiple means and provide opportunities to share and explain their thinking with others may address issues of access students face in elementary school. In this study, we employed a sequential mixed-methods design to investigate how game-enhanced fraction intervention impacts students’ fraction knowledge, engagement, and STEM interests. Quantitative results revealed statistically significant effects of the program on students’ fraction understanding and engagement but not their STEM interest. Qualitative analyses revealed three themes—(1) Accessible, Enjoyable Learning, (2) Can’t Relate, and (3) Dreaming Bigger—that provided contextual backing for the quantitative results. Implications for future research and development are shared. 

Abstract—A workplace study was conducted to evaluate user perceptions, acceptance, and muscle activity amongst logistics workers wearing an unmotorized, dual-mode, back-assist exosuit prototype. Eleven workers performed a lifting/lowering task with vs. without the exosuit, while back muscle activity was recorded. They then used the exosuit while performing their actual work tasks in a distribution center before completing a questionnaire about their user experience. Worker perceptions of the exosuit were overwhelmingly positive: 100% felt the exosuit could be useful and fit into their daily job without interfering, >90% felt assisted and that the exosuit made lifting easier, and >80% felt it was comfortable and that they were free to move naturally while wearing the exosuit. Finally, the majority of workers showed reduced back muscle activity while wearing the exosuit during lifting/lowering, consistent with results from prior lab studies. Worker feedback on this prototype was then used to inform design of the HeroWear Apex exosuit.