In our digital society, having computer science skills is becoming imperative, yet there is a shortage of computer science professionals and teachers. This shortage is linked to the perception people have of computer science and computer science professionals. This research paper answers two questions through a mixed-method study: to what extent do 7th-grade students with dissimilar backgrounds differ in their perception of computer science?” and “which characteristics of an intervention influence students’ perception of computer science?” The first question is answered by the distribution of a survey for 7th-grade students and the second by letting a smaller group play a serious game and asking open-ended questions afterward. The quantitative results showed that students’ gender influences the perception of computer science. The qualitative results showed that the factors backstory, interaction, and easiness increased students’ interest in computer science but their intention to pursue a career in computer science remained unchanged.

Women are largely underrepresented in IT, girls’ interest in STEM and IT fields tends to drop throughout secondary education. Educational games are a great tool to change the perception of certain topics, as well as changing the behavior of the players. Thus, this report describes the development of a game to make the field of IT more appealing to girls between the ages of 10 and 14.

After collecting requirements with the client and doing a literature study a design is proposed. The final product is a two-player 2D Role-Playing-Game with puzzle elements, specifically designed to be played in a classroom environment. The game takes place in a data center and will show the players the societal importance of data centers as well as the diversity of the work in data centers. The gameplay consists of exploring a data center, talking with both male and female employees in various roles, helping them with their work through minigames, and solving a mystery. The game was designed to specifically cater to girls and to break stereotypes regarding women in IT.