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The In’s and Out’s of Science Outreach: Assessment of an Engaging New Program
Author(s) -
Metz Cynthia J.,
Metz Michael J.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.2020.34.s1.03324
Subject(s) - outreach , enthusiasm , medical education , test (biology) , disadvantaged , psychology , population , medicine , political science , biology , social psychology , paleontology , environmental health , law
Many professors are interested in providing science outreach to local K‐12 students, but may not have the time or resources needed to create an engaging presentation. The American Physiological Society supports outreach initiatives through programs such as the Physiology Understanding (PhUn) Week. Building upon these activities, it was desired to create and assess an immersive and engaging outreach program in a disadvantaged K‐12 student population. Three distinct modules were created on cardiovascular physiology, respiratory physiology, and oral health. All resources for these modules underwent peer‐review and publication, allowing other professors to easily execute their own outreach programming. The outreach modules were presented to 288 students in 3 rd , 5 th , 6 th , and 7 th grade classes. Implementation of the modules resulted in significant increases in student content knowledge, ranging from 32–57% improvement (P<0.001, dependent t‐test) with an average increase of 46%. K‐12 science teachers reported that the program was at an appropriate educational level, increased students’ enthusiasm for science, and increased students’ exposure to science careers. Additionally, the presenters of the outreach program were perceived to be enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and proficient at interacting with the students. On open‐response survey items, the science teachers indicated a high level of satisfaction with the program and an enthusiasm for continued collaborations. These results indicate the importance of organized and interactive science activities for the success of a new outreach program. Support or Funding Information This work was supported in part by a basic grant from the University of Louisville School of Medicine and a support grant from the Dean’s Office of the University of Louisville School of Dentistry.