Engaging teenagers with genetics and genomics through a school-based competition: Pilot evaluation

Weitkamp, Emma; Arnold, Dawn L.

Abstract

As part of a university outreach programme, the authors ran an interschool competition encouraging young
people (year 10, age 14–15) to explore their ideas about the likely social impacts of whole genome screening. Schools
participating in the competition selected teams of 4–5 young people who participated in a one day workshop. This
workshop provided an introduction to whole genome screening, what it is and what it might (and might not) be able to
tell us about our future health. The workshop also included sessions on communicating scientific ideas through film (e.g.
storyboarding and basic editing). Students were then instructed to create a 4–6 minute film about genomics and what
issues it might present for individuals and/or society. Students reconvened for a second workshop to view and discuss the
films created. This paper focuses on a thematic analysis of the films entered in the competition, exploring the issues that
students raise. In addition to the thematic analysis, quantitative and qualitative data were collected that enable a
preliminary exploration of student learning. This will be explored in the context of what students of this age already know
and how they have built upon this learning during the competition.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2012
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 8, 2019
• Journal: International Journal of Science in Society
• Print ISSN: 1836-6236
• Publisher: Common Ground Research Networks
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 4
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 63-68
• Keywords: university outreach, genomics, school-based competition, evaluation
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/956349
• Publisher URL: http://ijy.cgpublisher.com/product/pub.187/prod.232