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Interactive Live Science Content (ILSC) on Twitch: using a popular gaming platform to expand access to free-choice learning

Session: Geoscience Education Research: Methods, Frameworks, and Results from Emerging Scholars

Presenting Author:

Melissa Scruggs

Authors:

Scruggs, Melissa A.¹, Gay, Pamela², Kaess, Alyssa³

(1) Geology, Wichita State University, Wichita, KS, USA, (2) Planetary Science Institute, Tuscon, AZ, USA, (3) Earth & Environmental Science, California State University, Bakersfield, Bakersfield, CA, USA,

Abstract:

After recent dramatic shifts in media consumption habits, streaming now surpasses traditional broadcast and cable television. Nearly 30% of internet users watch livestreamed content weekly, with platforms such as Twitch.tv, YouTube Live, and Facebook Live offering real-time, participatory experiences that fundamentally differ from traditional "post and comment" social media. Twitch.tv explosively diversified during the COVID-19 pandemic, with educational science-related content expanding alongside its gaming roots. As online instruction and interactive broadcasting became more familiar to the public, livestreaming evolved into a new mechanism for informal, self-directed, and interest-driven learning. This study examined Interactive Live Science Content (ILSC) on Twitch.tv as a form of free-choice learning—learning that occurs outside of formal settings, driven by curiosity, and shaped by individual access and engagement.

We conducted a mixed-methods survey and report findings from 182 qualified respondents who had a registered Twitch.tv account and had watched at least one stream featuring science content on the platform within the past six months. Participants answered a combination of categorical, Likert-scale, and open-ended questions addressing their Twitch.tv viewing habits, consumption of science content, familiarity with and perceptions of science content, learning outcomes, and attitudes toward expertise and trust. Results suggest that ILSC reaches well beyond traditionally targeted educational audiences: 33% of respondents primarily watch gaming content on the platform (rather than science), and a statistically significant number reported that their interest in science only developed in adulthood. Respondents reported significant gains in comfort with moderate-to-advanced science topics, greater understanding of the peer-review process, and increased visits to museums after regular ILSC participation. We also find that ILSC significantly influences perceptions of what a scientist looks like, and increases trust in individual scientists and science communicators. However, respondents reported decreased trust in investigative journalists and mainstream media following exposure to ILSC.

Expertise was widely valued by viewed, though transparent sourcing remained important when content creators were not domain experts. Discover of ILSC occurs primarily through platform algorithms or peer sharing—also rated as the most effective method to find new science content. These findings position ILSC on Twitch as a powerful tool for broadening participation in free-choice learning, increasing access to scientific thinking, and reaching diverse, self-motivated learners outside of traditional educational spaces.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Program. Vol. 57, No. 6, 2025