Learning by playing Init2Winit: How alignment knowledge increases educational aspirations and college plans in high school

Abstract

Init2Winit, a gamified mobile application designed to increase students’ alignment knowledge between college, career, and salary expectations has been beta-tested in midwestern urban and rural U.S. high schools (age 14–18). Students earn different points in the game when their educational expectations and expected annual income are matched with their desired careers. Propensity score matching was used with 481 high school students to compare the changes in 4-year college plans, college-going aspirations, and educational expectations between players and non-players. Results show that Init2Winit players significantly increased their 4-year college plans and educational aspirations from fall 2018 to spring 2019 compared to those students who did not play the game.

Keywords:

• Alignment
• educational aspirations
• career plans
• mobile app

Acknowledgments

The authors want to thank Lindsey Young, Amieris Lavender, and Goun Choi for their assistance with an earlier data collection that contributed to this study. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Declaration of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work has been supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1316702 and No. 1661236.

Notes on contributors

I-Chien Chen

I-Chien Chen is a postdoctoral research associate at the Michigan State University. She uses a sociological lens to understand how social contexts, interpersonal relationships and intervention programs enhance students' and teachers' learning including educational expectations, college-going knowledge, and STEM related instruction and interests.

Christel Rocha-Beverly

Christel Rocha-Beverly is a postdoctoral research associate at Michigan State University. Her current work centers on college/career access and navigation for underserved high schoolers and her research interests lie at the intersection of leadership and capital for these same underserved populations.

Barbara Schneider

Barbara Schneider is the John A. Hannah University Distinguished professor in the College of Education and Department of Sociology. A sociologist of education her major interest is understanding how the social and emotional states and actions of individuals are influenced by the contexts in which they inhabit.