Overview

This year we devoted much of our time and effort to educational activities. These activities served two main purposes: to improve the level of scientific literacy of the public in synthetic biology and science and to develop educational programs that provide appropriate professional education for those with particularly strong interests. To achieve these goals, our primary focus this summer was a step-by-step laboratory class for high school students before they choose a specialized subject.

In this experimental class, the following three steps were set up to teach the subject of DNA.

Step 1: Make biology accessible and generate interest
Step 2: Provide specialized knowledge to those who have expressed interest.
Step 3: Experience the scientific thinking process from problem-setting to problem-solving.

For this educational program to be implemented worldwide, we have documented everything from experimental protocols to class materials and survey results and made them publicly available to be usable to anyone.

Fig.1 Schematic diagram of our step-wise education program

Step 1 was designed to improve the scientific literacy of citizens, and Step 2 and beyond were designed to provide specialized education to those who have shown a particularly high level of interest after taking the first class. This year, we conducted classes up to Step 2 of this program. We communicated with people from various walks of life and discussed and planned not only safety aspects but also the structure of the classes and how to analyze their effectiveness.

Through our interaction with over 300 students, we were not only able to raise their interest in synthetic biology and science, but also to obtain feedback to improve our teaching materials. Communication with these classes and stakeholders has been very beneficial for the development of this program.

Background

In planning this educational program to introduce synthetic biology to the public, we considered two main points for educational activities in Japan and iGEM Education activities: the lack of education on biotechnology in Japan, and connecting students interested in biology with professional education.

Lack of Education on biotechnology in Japan

In the future, technologies such as genetic modification are likely to be used in an increasing number of areas. In such cases, citizens will need to make appropriate judgments about the use of these technologies based on scientific evidence. In Japan, however, few people have received the kind of biology education that should guide them in making such decisions.

In a typical Japanese high school, only 20.9% of high school students choose biology as a major in their choice of liberal arts or science courses [1]. The rest of the population enters the world of work without an adequate education in biology. In addition, most Japanese high schools do not have sufficient budgets for biology courses, and experiments are not conducted satisfactorily, so the curriculum does not provide students with a realistic and adequate understanding of biology.

For these reasons, we set out to develop an inexpensive, safe, and easy-to-implement teaching program that can be conducted in high school classes throughout Japan.

Connecting students interested in biology with professional education

We analyzed two main types of activities in iGEM's previous Education projects

a. Workshops for the general public who do not specialize in biology
b. Education programs for those already interested in biology

In the case of (a), iGEM teams in the past have done activities such as teaching science experiments that can be done at home through online workshops and encouraging the introduction of low-cost microscopes in schools to increase interest in biology [2]. For (b), some teams have conducted two-week summer camp programs [3]. Separately, these activities achieved their goals and are well-constructed programs, but so far, no mechanism has been developed to direct those whose interest in biology was sparked in programs like (a) directly to programs such as (b). We have decided to develop a series of programs that will educate non-specialists to generate broad interest, and then educate those who have become interested in a more in-depth way.

Planning

Our program was realized with the help and advice from the following people.

Fig.2 People who have helped us in our educational activities

Ms. Toyoda of KURA

Ms. Toyoda is an official at the Centre for Academic Research and Development (KURA) at Kyoto University. Based on her experience with experimental classes, she advised on how to create a curriculum that would better engage students' interests, in addition to safety guidance.

Mr. Okazaki of Akutagawa High School

Dr. Okazaki is a biology teacher at Akutagawa High School in Osaka Prefecture. As someone who actually works in education, he gave us many important points to consider when dealing with high school students. He also gave us advice on the overall design of the lessons, including safety aspects, when we were developing the curriculum.

Mr. Nishimura of Leave a Nest Co., Ltd. Co.

Mr. Nishimura is an employee at Leave a Nest Co., a company that promotes science education and has experience in organizing many experimental classes in the past. He advised on how to make the content of the course more interesting for the students and how to make the course more widely used in high schools.

Dr. Ichikawa of Gunma University

Dr. Ichikawa specializes in art education. He felt that it was necessary to quantitatively measure how the students' minds had changed as a result of this education, so he taught us how to properly measure the effects of the lessons from a pedagogical perspective.

Professor Teraishi of Kyoto University

Prof. Teraishi is a teacher specializing in breeding studies. He advised us on the design of primers for discriminating rice varieties and methods for extracting DNA from rice used in the second round of experiments.

Implemented Educational Activities

Step 1

Goal

In Step 1, we wanted to get high school students interested in biology by letting them experience simple experiments with familiar materials.

Implementation

The experiment was conducted from 28-31 August with 304 first-year students from Osaka Prefectural Akutagawa High School.

The experiment was linked to the DNA lessons in the school curriculum, aimed at the students to actually see the DNA in the textbooks with their own eyes. The subject matter was a DNA extraction experiment using bananas, an inexpensive and readily available material.

The curriculum was designed to be interactive so that it could be widely implemented in public high schools with limited resources for experiments, and so that the content would be familiar to the students. Specifically, in addition to written explanations of the experimental protocols, cartoon printouts were distributed to aid student understanding. (See Appendix) During the waiting time for the experiments, oral mini-quizzes related to the lesson content were also given to keep the students interested. After the lesson, four-point evaluation and descriptive questionnaires were distributed to assess the effectiveness of the lesson.

Results and discussion

Class atmosphere

Fig.3&4 Implementation of the first experiment class at Akutagawa High School

The class attitude twards the class was generally positive. Below are some comments and observations from iGEM Kyoto members who served as instructors.

The atmosphere in each of the eight classes was different. In the quieter classes, we tried to allow more time for discussion among students.
There were active discussions between students during experiments and quizzes, and many students were surprised to find different answers to quiz questions such as the length of DNA.
Some students were not interested, but most were surprised and enjoyed the moment when they could see the DNA.

Questionnaire analysis

The results of the questionnaire were analyzed from the following three perspectives:

How much did their interest in biology change before and after the course?
How much did their attitudes towards biology change, especially those who were less interested in the subject before the course?
Which parts of the lesson caught the students’ attention the most?

The results are as follows.

Fig.5 Changes in students' interest in biology before and after lessons

The students' interest in biology was assessed using a four-point questionnaire with 304 students: 'very interested', 'interested', 'not very interested', and 'not interested'. Changes in students' interest before and after the lesson were assessed using a step change.

Fig.6 Change in interest of high school students with low interest in biology throughout the lesson

The change in interest in biology before and after the course was assessed using a step change scale for 130 students who answered they were not very interested' or 'not interested at all' in biology before the course.

Fig.7 What students found interesting about the class

Legend:
1 - Doing an experiment (handling experimental tools, etc.)
2 - Experimenting with familiar foods
3 - Being able to see DNA
4 - The overall experience
5 - Other
6 - Nothing got my interest.

The results of this questionnaire were used to analyze the extent to which the current objective of 'stimulating interest in biology' was achieved.

Interest in biology

Overall, 40% of the student's interest in biology improved as a result of the course. In particular, 70% of those who had a relatively low interest in biology before the course improved their interest in biology. These results suggest that the educational activities had the intended effect of stimulating interest in biology among those who had not previously been interested in the subject.

Difficulty of the class

281 students answered that the course was "not very difficult", while 10 students answered that the course was "difficult". From these results, it can be said that the difficulty level of the course was appropriate.

Lesson content

From the result of the question, "What was particularly interesting about this experimental class?", it turns out that many students were interested in seeing DNA and were able to achieve the goal of verifying the textbook content through their experiments (see Figure 3).

Students' comments

I was amazed that we could observe DNA using familiar foods and materials.
I was wondering how to do the DNA extraction experiment this time, but I was amazed that the experiment was done with something more familiar than I had expected.

As shown in the above two examples, some participants felt familiarity with the familiar subject matter. In addition, many participants commented favorably on the printed explanations with illustrations of the experimental process and the quiz given during the experiments.

These comments were incorporated into the content and preparation of the Step 2 class, which was designed to be interactive.

Change in instructors' perspectives

After the experiment, we also surveyed the iGEM Kyoto members who served as instructors to see how their attitudes toward synthetic biology and science education had changed through the course.

Before class	I was worried that students who were not interested in science would not be interested in the lab class. I was worried about whether they would listen to or be interested in the lecture since they were freshmen who had not yet decided on a science major. Many of them were not interested in biology, to begin with, so I thought they might not enjoy the class. I was worried that we, who had no teaching experience, would not be able to communicate well.
After class	The students were more interested in the experiments and stories than we expected. My speaking skills improved. Students were more interested than I expected. I felt that high school students are naturally interested in science, even if they do not specialize in biology. I felt that even beginners can teach to a certain extent with thorough preparation.

Before class

I was worried that students who were not interested in science would not be interested in the lab class.
I was worried about whether they would listen to or be interested in the lecture since they were freshmen who had not yet decided on a science major.
Many of them were not interested in biology, to begin with, so I thought they might not enjoy the class.
I was worried that we, who had no teaching experience, would not be able to communicate well.

After class

The students were more interested in the experiments and stories than we expected.
My speaking skills improved.
Students were more interested than I expected. I felt that high school students are naturally interested in science, even if they do not specialize in biology.
I felt that even beginners can teach to a certain extent with thorough preparation.

As seen above, many of the teachers expressed concern about whether they would be able to successfully engage the students before the course. However, after the positive response to the class, the members gained confidence and believed that even if the content is difficult, it can be conveyed to the audience if the method of delivery is carefully considered. In addition, science communication skills were improved through this educational activity.

Reflection on Step 2

In order to better ensure the interactive nature of this experimental class, emphasis was placed on reflecting the results of the questionnaire conducted in Step 1 in Step 2. After analyzing the results of the above questionnaire and the students' feedback, the following three points were emphasized and reflected in Step 2.

Use of a topic familiar to the students
Promoting visual understanding of the process through the use of cartoons
Relating the content to that of the textbook

Step 2

We aimed to expose the students who demonstrated a strong interest in biology from the experimental class in Step 1 to the latest biotechnology, including synthetic biology, and give them specialized knowledge through lectures and discussions.

Implementation

Fig.8&9 Implementation of the second experimental class in Akutagawa High School

From 9/22 to 9/23, an experimental class was held on the subject of DNA as in Step 1. To make the class familiar to students, we used rice, a common food item, as material for the experimental class.

The following flow was designed so that students could learn by experiencing the techniques (electrophoresis, PCR, etc.) introduced in the lecture themselves.

Tasting four varieties of indica/japonica rice/mochi and one rice X of unknown lineage, and inferring each variety from this information (hypothesis)
To extract DNA from each rice and do PCR (experimental)
Revealing the lineage of Rice X from the band patterns (discussion)

Overview of implementation

1st day

Lecture on the evolution and classification of rice
Tasting of 4 groups of rice and rice X and phylogenetic prediction of rice X
Overview of detection of specific parts of DNA
Explanation of the operation and principle of the PCR method
Preparation of rice samples

Rice samples were subjected to PCR and electrophoresis at the Kyoto University laboratory used by iGEM Kyoto.

2nd day

Explanation of the principle of electrophoresis and experiment
Discussion on the classification of rice based on the electrophoresis results of day 1
Lecture about rice breeding and biotechnology
Discussion on the application of genetic modification technology

For the protocol of DNA extraction from rice, please refer to Appendix.

Safety Considerations

DNA Staining Solution (EtBr)
EtBr is commonly used as a DNA staining solution when electrophoresing PCR products, but it and other DNA staining solutions have been reported to be carcinogenic. For safety reasons, a two-color dye mixture (xylene cyanol and bromophenol blue) was used instead of EtBR for separation to understand the mechanism of electrophoresis.
Food poisoning
The occurrence of food poisoning is a major concern in educational settings. There is a risk of food poisoning when rice is prepared by people unfamiliar with food handling. Therefore, maximum attention was paid to sanitation by using rice that has been packed in airtight containers and sterilized.

Results and Discussion

Classes

The class atmosphere, according to a member who served as an instructor, was as follows:

The class were freshmen, but were able to understand the 3rd year's high school-level material, probably because of the printouts.
Students were particularly interested when asked to make predictions about a group of rice X after eating rice.
The students cheered loudly during the phase of actually experimenting with the pipettes and other apparatus.

Fig.10 What students found interesting about the second lab course

Legend
1 - enjoyed doing the experiment
2 - experimenting with familiar foods
3 - being able to see DNA
4 - Overall, it was fun
5 - other
6 - Nothing caught my interest.

In response to the question, "Is there anything you found particularly interesting about this experimental class? (Multiple answers allowed)" in the Step 2 lab class.

Student interest

All of the students who participated in the workshop indicated that they enjoyed the overall experience. One of them also selected "I enjoyed doing the experiments" and "I enjoyed doing the experiments with familiar foods". It can be said that the use of rice and the experiments using a pipette man to apply the dye mixture to the gel helped to arouse the students' interest.

Student understanding

Through the use of illustrations and small class sizes, we were able to help students understand the basic techniques of synthetic biology by relating them to the history of rice breeding, even though the content is normally not taught to first-year students.

Change in instructors' perspectives

By conducting the lesson as described above, the Instructors understood the importance of science communication. They realized that careful explanations are necessary to ensure that the general public correctly understands highly academic content.

Before class	It is difficult for people who have not studied biology to understand DNA manipulation methods such as the concept of the Sanger method, which is more difficult than PCR. I thought that "genetically modified" was associated with food. I thought that the main reason for avoiding genetically modified foods was that they were "mysterious”. I was worried that students would not understand the explanation of difficult concepts.
After class	When explaining biotechnology to the general public, we tend to simplify the technology and emphasize its safety, but by explaining synthetic biology in detail, we can get people to think from the same perspective. Because of the diversity of individual experiences with food and health, we realized that it is not effective to simply emphasize the safety of GMO technology when explaining genetically modified foods, for example. I was impressed by the success of my explanation of the Sanger method.

Before class

It is difficult for people who have not studied biology to understand DNA manipulation methods such as the concept of the Sanger method, which is more difficult than PCR.
I thought that "genetically modified" was associated with food.
I thought that the main reason for avoiding genetically modified foods was that they were "mysterious”.
I was worried that students would not understand the explanation of difficult concepts.

After class

When explaining biotechnology to the general public, we tend to simplify the technology and emphasize its safety, but by explaining synthetic biology in detail, we can get people to think from the same perspective.
Because of the diversity of individual experiences with food and health, we realized that it is not effective to simply emphasize the safety of GMO technology when explaining genetically modified foods, for example.
I was impressed by the success of my explanation of the Sanger method.

Discussion on biotechnology

We had a discussion with high school students about the use of genetic modification technology. Below are the opinions that were shared.

	What do you think about genetic modification technologies?
Positive	At this stage, the use of GMO technology to solve problems such as the food crisis should be allowed. The use of genetic modification technology to strengthen the weak points of living organisms, such as increasing the reproductive capacity of endangered species, should be allowed.
Negative	The creation of a creature that is not a living being by enhancing the strengths of the creature it already possesses should be discouraged. Only adults who can take responsibility for their health should be allowed to eat genetically modified foods for fear of unexpected problems, and children should not be allowed to eat them. Once GM crops become widely available, companies might pass on the development costs to farmers and the cost of seeds will skyrocket, putting pressure on farmers' businesses.

What do you think about genetic modification technologies?

Positive

At this stage, the use of GMO technology to solve problems such as the food crisis should be allowed.
The use of genetic modification technology to strengthen the weak points of living organisms, such as increasing the reproductive capacity of endangered species, should be allowed.

Negative

The creation of a creature that is not a living being by enhancing the strengths of the creature it already possesses should be discouraged.
Only adults who can take responsibility for their health should be allowed to eat genetically modified foods for fear of unexpected problems, and children should not be allowed to eat them.
Once GM crops become widely available, companies might pass on the development costs to farmers and the cost of seeds will skyrocket, putting pressure on farmers' businesses.

It can be seen that each student was able to think about the use of genetic modification with their rationale. The diversity of opinions among the students also provided an opportunity for each participant, including the teacher, to examine their ideas objectively.

Future Steps

Although Step 3 was not implemented this year, a proposed curriculum structure was considered for future implementation.

Step 3

Goal

Students will experience the process of scientific thinking. By doing so, students will be able to discover problems in society on their own, come up with solutions to those problems, and design experimental plans for demonstration.

Implementation

Students, especially those who have shown an interest in using synthetic biology after the second step, will be asked to discover a familiar problem on their own, think about how to solve that problem from a synthetic biology perspective, and experience implementing the solution.

The following parts of the program will reflect learnings from the implementation of steps 1 and 2.

Create teaching materials that promote visual understanding through illustrations
Creating a classroom program that engages students by using quizzes, etc.

Configuration examples

Assign one university student to each of about 10 high school students to brainstorm about problems in the area where the high school is located.
Lecture on points to keep in mind during fieldwork and conduct a mock interview at the high school.
Make appointments with people involved in the issues raised in 1. and go to interview them in the group formed in 1.
As a group, brainstorm whether synthetic biology can solve the problem based on the information obtained from the interviews.
Gather the information needed to address the part of the problem identified in 4. and interview the experts.
Interview the people involved in the problem identified in step 4, ask their opinions about the solution being considered, and refine the solution.
Present the completed solution to the people involved in the problem.

The educational benefits of these activities are the same as those of participating in iGEM. Therefore, a strong option for a special effort would be to conduct these processes 1-7 while helping to form iGEM teams in high schools.

Future plan

To promote the use of the curricula we have developed throughout Japan, we are considering the following initiatives

Disseminating the curriculum through teacher training sessions.
In Japanese high schools, teachers in each subject area organize teacher associations to improve their teaching. We plan to introduce the curriculum we have developed through this organization. We are currently expanding our activities, starting with high schools in Osaka Prefecture. In the future, we hope to expand this into a nationwide initiative.
Dissemination of teaching content by students who have taken the course.
The illustrated teaching materials developed in this project are intended to help laymen understand the material. We hope that the students will use this material, which is now publicly available, to teach others around them and develop scientifically literate citizens. Mr. Okazaki of Akutagawa High School has already successfully used this material to replicate a lesson for his students who missed our event.

English versions of these materials are also available in Appendix. We hope that this initiative will spread around the world.

Conclusion

This year, we set our focus on the lack of biotechnology education in Japan, and the lack of connection between education for non-specialists and specialized education.

To address this, we designed and conducted step-type educational activities for 1st-year high school students who have not yet selected their specializations. For Step 1 and Step 2, we were able to achieve the respective objectives of 'raising interest in biology' and 'imparting professional knowledge'. While we were not able to implement Step 3, we were able to reflect on the results of Steps 1 and 2 and devise a protocol for future implementation.

These protocols have been documented and organized in such a way that they can be cheaply and easily replicated by other iGEM teams and school staff in the future. It is hoped that this lab class can be replicated throughout Japan and around the world to increase the number of people interested in synthetic biology and science, and to increase the number of citizens who can make the right decisions about the use of science and technology.

References

[1] Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology - Japan [MEXT]. (2015), Results of the 2015 Survey of Curriculum Development and Implementation in Public Senior High Schools, https://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/shotou/new-cs/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2019/02/12/1413569_002_1.pdf

[2] iGEM Lambert 2020, SCIENCE COMMUNICATION

[3] "iGEM CCA_San_Diego 2020 Education

Appendix

Click on the thumbnails to view the PDF files!

(1) Education Script (Banana) Download

(2) Protocols Download

(3) Class handout ~Flow of Experiment~ Download

(4) Questionnaire to Be Distributed after the Experimental class Download

(5) Education Script (Rice) Download

(6) Evolution and Classification of Asian Rice Download

(7) Detection of Specific Portions of DNA Download

(8) PCR Method Operation and Principles Download

(9) Electrophoresis Operation and Principles Download

(10) Breeding Rice with Biotechnology Download

Download

(11) Classification of RiceX Download

(12) Education Experiment Details Download

(13) Questionnaire to Be Distributed after the Experimental class Download