A conversation with STEMPlay Labs Director of Education Research and Development, Mia Barrett
Tell us about yourself and your role at STEMPlay Labs.
I’m the Director of Education Research and Development at STEMPlay Labs. My role centers on ensuring that all of our game based learning and ed tech products are grounded in research and deliver measurable impact for students and teachers.
I bring a unique perspective to this work. My background spans cultural anthropology, sexuality education, and educational research. The through-line connecting everything is a commitment to making learning accessible, engaging, and joyful, especially students who’ve been told they’re “not science people.”
Before joining STEMPlay Labs, I spent years developing and evaluating educational interventions, coordinating large-scale randomized controlled trials, and creating digital learning experiences.
What sparked your passion for game-based learning and educational research?
I grew up in my parents’ toy store—a place dedicated to imaginative play. I loved the science kits and craft kits that let me build, explore, and create. I was always curious about how things were made and what I could do with the materials given to me.
But when I got to school, science and math never stuck. I was told I wasn’t a science person. I was an art person.
No one told me that art is science.
It took years for me to realize that so many of my skills and natural inclinations—looking for patterns, seeing the big picture of systems, the ability to test and retest an idea—are scientific thinking.
My background in education allowed me to explore my scientific side. When I was in a classroom, I could A/B test a lesson plan. I could evaluate the impact of different teaching strategies. In education research, I wanted to use science to improve learning outcomes for all students—especially for those who, like me, were not included in “being a science person.”
I want to incorporate the playful and imaginative learning into ed tech. The things I experienced growing up in my parents’ toy store. STEMPlay Labs is bringing this into the STEAM game-based learning.
How does your unique background strengthen your work at STEMPlay Labs?
I understand the barriers—both systemic and personal—that keep students from engaging with STEM subjects.
My experience in education research has taught me that we can’t just create engaging games and hope for the best. We need rigorous evaluation. With our Fantasy Sports Math League project—funded by the Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences—I’ve overseen the entire development cycle from concept through pilot testing with hundreds of students to our current randomized controlled trial.
The ed tech research results have been remarkable: students show increases in math skills and confidence while experiencing decreases in math anxiety. We’re proving that when we connect learning to students’ interests and incorporate that spirit of playful exploration, something powerful happens.
What excites you most about the work at STEMPlay Labs?
We’re challenging the very idea of who gets to be a “science person” or a “math person.” Every game we develop goes through extensive user experience testing with teachers and students. We conduct ed tech research through focus groups, listening sessions, and interviews with subject matter experts and community members. We track implementation fidelity, measure outcomes, and continuously refine our approach based on data.
But here’s what really matters: when students use our games, they don’t feel like they’re being studied. They’re playing.
That balance—between rigorous research and genuine engagement—makes this work powerful. We’re showing students that STEM is relevant to their lives and interests.
We’re creating game-based learning experiences I wish I’d had. Creativity and exploration that I loved in my parents’ toy store is combined with the mathematical and scientific thinking.
What advice would you give to people considering a career in educational research and development?
First, follow your curiosity across disciplines. My path from cultural anthropology to education to game-based STEM learning might look unconventional, but each experience built on the last. Don’t be afraid to bring skills from one field into another. The kid who loved science kits and the educator who A/B tests lesson plans are using the same fundamental skills.
Second, develop both depth and breadth. You need rigorous research skills. I serve as an IRB review board member and have extensive experience designing evaluation protocols. I also need to understand instructional design, user experience, stakeholder engagement, and implementation science.
Finally, never lose sight of why this work matters. Young people deserve learning experiences that are effective and engaging. Keep them at the center of everything you do. Remember what it felt like to explore and discover, and build that into every intervention.
What’s your vision for the future of evidence-based educational technology?
I envision a future where every ed tech intervention—game, video series, or curriculum—is developed with the rigor and the creativity and joy that makes learning irresistible.
We’re already seeing this at STEMPlay Labs. Our game-based learning designs align with curriculum standards, undergo randomized controlled trials, and generate publishable research. And students love playing them!
That’s the future: ed tech that expands who gets to be a “science person” or a “math person”—because we all are.
When learning connects to life something magical happens. Students stop seeing themselves as “not good at” certain subjects and start seeing themselves as capable, curious learners ready to explore whatever comes next.
Just like that kid in the toy store, surrounded by possibilities.