Dr. Andrea Parker is the principal investigator for a newly awarded grant from the National Science Foundation! Dr. Parker is joined by an interdisciplinary team of co-investigators: Dr. Jessica Hoffman (Applied Psychology), Dr. Carmen Sceppa (Health Sciences), and Dr. Magy Seif El-Nasr (Game Design). We are excited to be partnering with two community-based organizations: the Boston Centers for Youth & Families, and the Mattapan Food & Fitness Coalition. This work builds upon the thesis work of Herman Saksono, a Ph.D. student in the Wellness Technology Lab.
Our NSF-funded project will explore how experiential learning games can help low-income families learn from sensor-collected physical activity data, and overcome barriers to physical activity. The project has a particular focus on how family structure and socioeconomic context impact families’ needs for technologies that encourage wellness.
This 3-year grant will provide close to $500k in funding for our research.