SBIR Phase II: Hats & Ladders: A Mobile Platform to Foster Career Self-Efficacy in Youth Ages 14 to 25

这个SBIR二期项目通过在研究人员认为最重要的年龄建立年轻人的信心来满足国家对更强职业准备的需求。一个关键目标是通过为青年及其支持者提供数据驱动的、激励性的职业发展解决方案来缩小公平和机会差距，该解决方案利用现有的倡议，并将用户与在线和社区中有意义的职业发展经验联系起来。预期的结果是一个基于网络的职业平台，促进职业自我效能，增加职业和职业路径的知识。该平台包括：(1)基于流行游戏机制，面向14至25岁青少年的引人入胜的应用程序；(2)一个基于网络的倡导者（教育者）仪表板，报告个人和集体用户的职业探索和技能建设活动，并支持公共和私人组织？需要了解青年的兴趣和技能，以此作为优先供资的一种方式；(3)一个实施工具包，包括30多个教案和专业发展视频，用于将该平台整合到各种正式和非正式的学术和咨询环境中。该项目的更广泛影响是帮助青年培养职业准备，从而增加他们留在学校、找到好工作和获得更大社会流动性的可能性。这个项目结合了经过经验检验的职业发展方法，经过验证的基于游戏的学习原则，以及关于职业的开放大数据，以提供个性化、准确的职业指导。该应用程序利用可视化的心理评估（基于经过验证的清单）吸引年轻人建立个人档案。然后，专有系统会向玩家推荐“帽子”（职业）和“梯子”（活动），这些活动提供了一系列激励因素（关卡设计、自我反思、成就徽章、社交分享和导师交流）支持的现实学习。梯子活动和自我反思过程中产生的数据增强了用户的个人资料，从而提高了推荐引擎的准确性。该项目采用基于设计的方法作为总体研究方法。完成课程的最终评估将在高中和课后进行。职业准备、坚持和对能力和H&amp；L计划的认知将使用定量方法进行评估。预期的结果是一个非常有效的职业发展计划，吸引21世纪的学习者与基础的职业建设经验。学生将能够根据兴趣和职业数据确定职业抱负，并对自己导航和适应不断变化的职业道路的能力获得更大的信心。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This SBIR Phase II project serves a national need for stronger career readiness by building the confidence of youth at an age when researchers believe it matters the most. A key objective is to close equity and opportunity gaps by equipping youth and their advocates with a data-driven, motivational career development solution - one that taps into existing initiatives and connects users to meaningful career-building experiences online and in their communities. The intended outcome is a web-based career platform that fosters career self-efficacy and increases knowledge of occupations and career pathways. The proposed platform consists of (1) an engaging app for youth ages 14 to 25 based on popular game mechanics; (2) a Web-based advocate (educator) dashboard that reports on individual and aggregate user career exploration and skill-building activity, and supports public and private organizations? need for visibility into youth interests and skills as a way to prioritize funding; and (3) an implementation toolkit, featuring 30+ lesson plans as well as professional development videos for integrating the platform in a wide range of formal and informal academic and advisory settings. This project's broader impact is to help youth foster career readiness and, thus, increase their likelihood of staying in school, finding good employment, and gaining greater social mobility. This increased career readiness ensures a pool of qualified applicants for employers in industries across the U.S. This project combines empirically-tested career development methodologies, proven game-based learning principles, and open big data about careers to provide personalized, accurate career guidance. The app engages youth in building personal profiles using visualized psychological assessments (based on validated inventories). A proprietary system then recommends Hats (careers) to explore and Ladders (activities) to complete that provide real-world learning supported by a range of motivators (level design, self-reflections, achievement badges, social sharing, and mentor communication). Data generated during Ladder activity and self-reflections strengthens the user's profile and, thus, the accuracy of the recommendation engine. The project employs design-based methods as the overarching research approach. A final evaluation of the completed program will be conducted in both high school and after-school settings. Career readiness, persistence, and perceptions of ability and of the H&L program will be assessed using quantitative methodologies. The anticipated result is a highly effective career development program that engages 21st-century learners with foundational career-building experiences. Students will be able to identify career aspirations, based on interests and occupational data, and gain greater confidence in their ability to navigate and adapt to changing career pathways.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.