Exploratory Engagement Exploring Exoplanets (4EP)

We aim to redefine the methods of engaging young people in STEM by combining cutting-edge research with innovative and immersive digital media. Our team including researchers at the forefront of exoplanet studies, educational game development experts and science communication centres will combine to develop a game, and associated exhibits and media, engaging young people in a significant way, and with an extensive reach. Central to this process will be a Young Persons Advisory Panel (YPAP), involved in the development of the game and developed as ambassadors, alongside current University undergraduates, postgraduates and museum staff.
Our activities will span the ranges of significance, and reach in terms of engagement via three pathways, or pillars. Focused and significant engagement will be sought through a series of workshops and engagement activities with local schools delivered by a cohort of Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) students. The understanding of scientific research, and aspirations for future study of the target audience (11-16 year olds) will be monitored and evaluated. Complementary to this, we will develop a unique mobile museum exhibit hosted both at our partners (We The Curious and the National Space Centre) sites, but also taken out to our local schools network and events across the country, reaching potentially ~100,000 people over the lifetime of the project. This aspect will also be bolstered by the training of PGCE students increasing the national capacity. The final pillar includes the free and global access to our visual media and game via various platforms to enable high numbers of people to engage with the research, potentially of order Millions of people.
At the heart of exoplanet research lie often conceptually simple techniques, such as radial velocity and transit detection methods, and characterisation methods such as transmission spectroscopy. The game itself, `Planet Royale', will be developed as an exploration game in the race to fine a new Earth-twin. Players will be incentivised by dynamically constructed, short-term goals, to accrue rewards such as advancement in facilities (i.e. moving from ground-based telescopes such as the INT to HST or JWST), regular missions rewarded with upgrades and scientific data, alongside longer term `badge' collection and competition with other players. This pairing of dynamic short-term goals, with overarching longer terms goals has shown to be successful in engaging people with games. As players identify more planets, they obtain more detailed information on them, and additional reward via high-quality visualisations. This format allows us to showcase UK exoplanet research and facilities, and helps players grow their understanding through the game. It is our intention to also include elements of real data and research tools in the game, but in a simplified and accessible way.
Our previous experience in generating immersive research-based media, has shown that immense reaches can be achieved (>3million in ~1.5years), and pairing this with a more focused, immersive, and agency-providing game format, alongside museum exhibits, will allow us to increase the significance of our impacts. Developing exciting, and fun to play game mechanics, built-on real-life research and discoveries, will provide a unique approach to our project and game.
Our proposal details funds required to develop the game, and create and deliver the engagement activities, alongside a monitoring process which we believe will enable us to reach a large number of young people, across varying levels of significance.