North Carolina State University researchers have received a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation to develop a video game to improve computer science knowledge retention in middle school students. If the video game proves to be successful, it could be used nationally, according to North Carolina State University researchers.
“Looking ahead, the United States is facing a significant shortage of people who will be able to fill jobs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. That shortage is particularly acute for computer science,” says James Lester, a professor of computer science and primary investigator of the project. “Forecasts consistently predict that we will have far more computer science jobs than there will be trained personnel to fill them.”
This is not the first educational game Lester has developed at N.C. State; he created a game to teach scientific concepts to fifth graders.
For the new project, researchers aim to create a game that encourages students to pursue a career in computer science.
“Our goal is to create a video game that will help middle school students understand basic computer science concepts and related skills,” Lester says. “We want to encourage students to pursue computer science in high school and beyond, and we want to give them the foundation they’ll need to do so successfully.”
Source: Triangle Business Journal
