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

这一SBIR第二阶段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，满足了国家对更强的职业准备的需求。一个关键目标是通过向青年及其倡导者提供数据驱动的、激励性的职业发展解决方案来弥合公平和机会差距--该解决方案利用现有倡议，并将用户与在线和社区中有意义的职业生涯建设经验联系起来。预期的结果是建立一个基于网络的职业平台，培养职业自我效能感，增加对职业和职业道路的了解。拟议的平台包括(1)基于流行游戏机制的面向14至25岁年轻人的引人入胜的应用程序；(2)基于网络的倡导者(教育者)仪表板，报告个人和聚合用户的职业探索和技能培养活动，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方式；(3)一个实施工具包，其中包括30多个课程计划以及专业发展视频，以便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。这种更高的职业准备确保了美国各地行业雇主的合格申请者池。该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和开放的职业大数据，以提供个性化、准确的职业指导。这款应用程序让年轻人使用可视化的心理评估(基于经过验证的清单)来建立个人档案。然后，专有系统推荐要探索的HATS(职业)和要完成的Ladders(活动)，这些活动提供由一系列激励因素(关卡设计、自我反思、成就徽章、社交分享和导师交流)支持的真实世界学习。在阶梯活动和自我反省期间产生的数据加强了用户的个人资料，从而提高了推荐引擎的准确性。该项目采用以设计为基础的方法作为主要的研究方法。对完成的项目的最终评估将在高中和课后环境中进行。职业准备、毅力和对能力以及H&A；L项目的看法将使用定量方法进行评估。预期的结果是一个高度有效的职业发展计划，让21世纪的学习者参与到具有基础职业生涯建设经验的学习中。学生将能够根据兴趣和职业数据确定职业抱负，并对自己驾驭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NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势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.