Edutainment on Display: Enhancing Learning Experiences Through Scientific Dramatizations of Gas Transport

Abstract

Background: Edutainment describes the confluence of education and entertainment. Also termed dramatization, each participant imitates specific content elements, while the entire group embodies a fundamental concept. It harnesses the engaging nature of theater and enhances learning experiences with gamification. OBJECTIVE: This pilot study aims to use edutainment, in the form of dramatization, to teach cardiovascular topics to young learners and evaluate their engagement in science. HYPOTHESIS: We posit that applying this approach to education will better engage learners of all ages and enhance science learning. Methods: Kids’ Tech University (KTU) is an annual four-day program hosted by Virginia Tech in which children (ages 8-12) participate in interactive sessions about science and technology. During the 2023 event, six groups of four to eight students attended small group discussions to assess understanding of gas transport and learn about the circulatory system. Learners then took part in an activity where they represented red blood cells and traced blood flow through parts of the circulatory system marked by signs in the room (i.e., left atrium, brain). Everyday items—cotton balls and recycled paper—symbolized biological components—oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2), respectively. Donning of red and blue party hats symbolized the oxygenation state of blood, enabling visual differentiation and providing more recognizable cues for learning diffcult concepts. The walking speed mirrored blood flow rates across various vessels, resembling arterial (fast) and venous (slow) velocities. Initially, students moved slowly towards the right side of the heart before swiftly transitioning to the lungs for CO2-O2 exchange. Afterward, they moved slowly to the left side of the heart and were propelled to different organs (brain, gallbladder, eyes, etc.) where they facilitated O2-CO2 exchange, and were returned as deoxygenated. The cycle repeated as the students continually discussed the science behind their dramatization. DATA/RESULTS: When studied at the 2023 event, enhanced learning was observed through qualitative assessments, as students were allowed to go through the simulation—first guided and then independently—to reinforce concepts, supplemented by additional discussions. Furthermore, students continued to remain engaged throughout the duration of the activity and expressed positive sentiments about their experience with dramatizations. Additional data will be gathered during another trial of this activity in January at the 2024 KTU to further add to our findings. CONCLUSION: The use of dramatization in teaching the intricacies of the circulatory system to a group of students is effective in cultivating interest and engagement in science learning. Reenacting core concepts using everyday items is an effective teaching tool that should continue to be explored in other settings and areas. This study will continue into 2024 to allow additional data collection. VTCSOM. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.