It appears we have a shortage on our hands – the United States is struggling to produce enough STEM professionals to meet its growing technical workforce needs, with other nations producing up to twice as many STEM graduates. This gap represents more than just statistics – it reflects deeper barriers that prevent many students, particularly those from underrepresented groups, from pursuing technical fields. But new research suggests an unexpected solution might be hiding in plain sight: video games.
Gaming the SySTEM, a groundbreaking study from Michigan State University, published in Games and Culture, challenges conventional thinking about how we might bridge this STEM divide. The researchers studied over 1,100 elementary school students, primarily from minority backgrounds, to understand how their gaming experiences influenced their attitudes toward technology and STEM fields. What they discovered was striking: regular gameplay was linked to increased technological confidence and reduced anxiety around computers – key factors that often determine whether students can envision themselves in technical careers.
This isn’t about educational games or structured learning activities. Instead, the research suggests that the natural problem-solving, experimentation, and gradual mastery that happens during regular gameplay may help students develop the resilience and self-belief needed for STEM subjects. This finding is particularly significant because while many underrepresented students may lack access to computers or specialized software, gaming consoles are among the most widely owned digital devices across demographic groups.
The study’s findings align with what educators in programs like FIRST Robotics have long observed, and what games like our own RoboCo (which builds on FIRST’s methodology) have started to formalize: hands-on, playful engagement with technology can transform how students see themselves in relation to technical fields. When students succeed in the controlled environment of a game, that confidence often transfers to other technical challenges.
The Digital Divide: More Than Just Access
The research reveals something crucial about the nature of the “digital divide” – the gap between those who can effectively use digital technologies and those who cannot. While much attention has focused on physical access to computers and the internet, the study highlights a psychological component that’s equally important. Students who regularly played video games showed significantly lower levels of what researchers call “emotional costs” – the stress and anxiety associated with using technology.
This emotional barrier can be particularly high for students from underserved communities, who might have limited exposure to technology in educational or professional settings. The study found that gaming provided these students with a low-pressure environment to build technological comfort and confidence, leveraging the inherent nature of video games as a space where failure is expected and iteration is assumed – exactly the mindset needed for STEM learning.
From Gaming to STEM: Building Bridges
The study’s most promising findings relate to how gaming experiences translate into broader STEM attitudes. Students who demonstrated higher confidence in their gaming abilities consistently showed greater interest in STEM careers and stronger belief in the importance of these fields. Perhaps most significantly, these students approached new technical challenges with noticeably lower anxiety levels and more positive attitudes toward computers and technology in general.
These benefits weren’t limited to educational games – commercial games played at home showed similar positive effects. This suggests that the very activities some parents and educators worry might distract from STEM learning could actually be building crucial foundational attitudes and confidence.
Implications for Education
These findings suggest a need to rethink how we approach technology education, particularly for underrepresented groups. Rather than viewing gaming as a distraction from serious learning, educators might consider how to leverage students’ gaming experiences as a bridge to STEM engagement. This could mean acknowledging and building upon students’ existing technical confidence from gaming, or finding ways to connect their gaming experiences to STEM concepts more directly.
Looking Forward
While video games alone won’t solve the STEM education gap, this research suggests they might be an underutilized tool in our educational arsenal. The key isn’t to turn classrooms into gaming centers, but to understand how gaming experiences might help students – particularly those from underrepresented groups – develop the confidence and resilience needed for STEM success.
As we continue to grapple with STEM workforce demands and educational disparities, perhaps it’s time to view video games not as a distraction from learning, but as an unexpected ally in building the next generation of STEM professionals. The research suggests that when it comes to developing technical confidence and breaking down psychological barriers to STEM engagement, the games our students play might be doing more heavy lifting than we’ve realized.
P.s., if you’ve got a concept for an engaging STEM experience of your own, contact us about our educational game development services!