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Inspiring the next generation of immunologists

2016; Wiley; Volume: 46; Issue: 12 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1002/eji.201670126

1521-4141

Jacinta Duncan, Tony Chiovitti,

Immunodeficiency and Autoimmune Disorders

In an ideal world we imagine a scientifically literate community equipped to make informed decisions around health and medicine. To realise this vision, it is imperative we educate students in immunology during the school years. However, it is a challenge for schools to equip themselves with the technology and expertise to provide opportunities that will have a deep and lasting impact. At GTAC our mission is to excite Victorian students and teachers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) by providing equitable access to leading life science expertise, practices and technologies (http://www.gtac.edu.au/). By providing opportunities to practice the skills of an immunologist and through showcasing advances in the field, we instil in students an awareness of their role in protecting themselves, their community, and their world from disease. GTAC is a Science and Mathematics Specialist Centre established by the Victorian Department of Education and Training (DET; http://www.education.vic.gov.au), in partnership with The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) and The University of Melbourne. Located in Parkville, Melbourne, we are situated in the heart of the major biomedical sciences precinct in Australia. Our location and partnerships facilitate access to world-class practicing scientists and education experts and strengthen our standing in the Science and Education communities. A unique feature of our programs is the opportunity for students and teachers to collaborate with practicing scientists as they access research grade facilities and technologies. This heightens their desire to engage with the content as they collaborate to explore contemporary issues, practices and ideas. Innovation in education is fostered by an imaginative staff having skills in scientific research and education practice. At GTAC we employ 12 full time staff, including a science animator. We also employ 90 casual staff, young PhD research scientists, as scientist mentors (Fig. 1). Education design and delivery is a collaborative venture drawing on scientific research, the Victorian curriculum and science in the news. GTAC offers a number of special programs run in collaboration with science institutions. These programs enable students to meet scientists whose discoveries have positively impacted society. Through these interactions students come to understand the contributions of scientists to society. These special programs also incorporate scenario-based practical workshops in which students work in small groups with their scientist mentor using the tools of the immunologist. From Sunday 21st August – Friday 26th August Melbourne hosted the brightest minds in immunology as they came together at the Melbourne Convention Centre for the ICI 2016 1. A public outreach initiative run at ICI 2016 by GTAC was the “Victorian aspiring immunologists” program, designed to deliver an immersive conference experience for senior school students and their teachers. The program comprised four sessions allowing participants to practice skills in immunology research and engage in dialogue with local and international immunologists. Participants were guided by research scientists to use models and perform an ELISA to determine the R0 for an outbreak of influenza (Fig. 2). They had the opportunity to discuss emerging immunology research and career pathways with leading immunologists from the UK, USA and Australia in a format we affectionately name “speed-date an immunologist”. Participants also met with poster presenters to experience the collegiate sharing taking place at the conference. Understanding the science in a conference poster can be a daunting task for 15 – 17 year olds. To empower them with the scientific knowledge to discuss posters with presenters, GTAC ran a poster prep session. Using easy access models we unpacked the science and provided narratives to support students to understand the research. Students then collaborated to formulate three questions to ask poster presenters. The day ended with an overview of how their immune system works by Nobel Laureate Professor Peter Doherty. You could feel the excitement of students as they engaged with a Nobel Laureate whose humour and inimitable style make him highly approachable. Many of the research institutions surrounding GTAC provide immersive tours as a component of our programs. Students see first hand the collaborative nature of research as they are provided with snapshots of the cutting edge research emerging from departments, the technologies being used by scientists, and the facilities in which they work. There is a great sense of occasion when students walk through the doors of a World class research institution such as Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI; http://www.wehi.edu.au) or the Florey Institute of Nueroscience and Mental Health (https://www.florey.edu.au). For six consecutive years, GTAC and the ASI have collaborated to deliver the student program, Your Body at War to celebrate the International Day of Immunology (DoI) 2. Senior school students participate in the program, which has the dual aims of engaging students to consider applications and careers in immunology while teaching subject themes that align with the Victorian VCE Biology curriculum. The program is launched by introductory presentations on the history of immunology and the current state of global vaccination programs delivered by eminent Australian “heroes” of immunology. Sir Gustav Nossal and Professor Phil Hodgkin are perennial and popular presenters at the program (Fig. 3). The lunch session incorporates a speed-dating format for students to speak in an informal setting with career professionals who have studied immunology. These professionals represent diverse fields including early and established research scientists, industry personnel, clinicians, health counsellors, educators, lawyers, and publicists. Through these discussions, students gain insights into the many and sometimes convoluted career pathways that are supported by a training in immunology. Students also participate in a series of immersive laboratory and computer workshops to explore the immune system and applications of immunology to disease diagnosis. Using microscopy, students examine tissue specimens derived from mouse models to interpret the role of immune cells in arthritis, myeloma, and viral infection; they apply the ELISA technique in a scenario-based task to identify the carrier of a streptococcal infection; and they use computer modelling to explore antibody structure for cancer immunotherapy. Your Body at War runs onsite at GTAC and as rural outreach at Federation University in Ballarat (http://federation.edu.au). Preparing protocols and accessing research grade resources and equipment is facilitated through strong collaborations with research institutions and industry. Many of our immunology programs involve students performing an ELISA. For ten years, Zoetis has supported our immunology programs by providing specialist equipment and developing a number of robust ELISA protocols to complement a range of scenarios that immerse students in real life investigations. Research scientists from surrounding institutions often provide access to resources, such as fluorescent cell lines and specimens, that can be harnessed in programs to showcase latest research. The Victorian DET provides subsidies for disadvantaged schools to visit the GTAC and to access our outreach programs. Of the 15,000 students who participated in a program in 2015, 64% were from rural or low socioeconomic government schools. To increase engagement in immunology studies we delivered two outreach programs in 2015: Students follow the Hendra virus story and learn the important role played by Australian scientists as they track the outbreak, identify the virus, identify hosts and develop a vaccine for horses to control this outbreak and save lives. Materials to perform an ELISA are sent to schools by Zoetis and students are guided by a GTAC education officer remotely to perform tests to determine if horses have been vaccinated. This program was delivered in rural Victorian schools having a high Indigenous population. It immerses students in the role of epidemiologists as they collaborate with scientist mentors to use models and perform experiments to unpack the R0 equation for predicting the spread of a disease outbreak in their town. This includes the use of an ELISA to determine the average duration of infectiousness. They apply the model to suggest methods for limiting the spread of disease. Running alongside this program was a teacher Professional Learning program with a focus on observing student engagment to inform methods of igniting student interest and passion in science. Student testimonial after participating in our Outbreak program: “That was the most awesome experience of my life!” Pathogen Attack: The fight for immunity (http://www.gtac.edu.au/gtac-immunology-game/) is GTACs online immunology game, which was officially released in 2015 (Fig. 4). In this real-time strategy game, students control the cells involved in generating a specific immune response. Gaming levels are structured to guide students through the sequence of cellular interactions required to eliminate invading bacteria and viruses. Collaboration to design and deliver this program included immunology consultants Professor Bill Heath, Professor Andrew Lew and Associate Professor Lynn Corcoran; education designers Chris Szwed, Dr. Tony Chiovitti and Jacinta Duncan; and the gaming company Aerion Technologies. This collaboration was integral to achieving scientific accuracy and educational outcomes while ensuring the gamification approach was engaging for students. Gaming as an educational strategy is gaining momentum in the education arena, as effective games address many learning styles. Teacher and student feedback has indicated that Pathogen Attack is a viable strategy for exploring the dynamic nature of the immune system. This places GTAC at the forefront of the emerging gaming in education movement. Science animations are an excellent tool to promote engagement and learning in immunology. The abstract molecular world comes to life as we watch the interplay of tissues, cells and molecules supported by an engaging narrative. Our newly released Bordetella pertussis and Whooping Cough animation (http://www.gtac.edu.au/animation-gallery/bordetella-pertussis-and-whooping-cough/) takes students on a journey into the throat as they discover the role of goblet and ciliated epithelial cells in protecting our airways. Bordetella pertussis invades and the resulting carnage as toxins are released reveals why symptoms are experienced. The gravity of the situation becomes clear as we witness a young infant fighting for its life. A valuable message of the video is the role of individuals in providing herd immunity through vaccination. Our recently released The Dynamic Cell animation (http://www.gtac.edu.au/animation-gallery/the-dynamic-cell/) takes students on a journey to view the internal machinations of a macrophage as it engulfs a bacterial cell, receives signals to mobilise lysosomes, and empties a cargo of digestive enzymes into a phagosome so the bacteria is digested (Fig. 5). Testimonials from teachers, students and scientist mentors attest to the impact that our programs are having on students through teacher Professional Learning, access to facilities and scientists, and provision of online resources. Teacher testimonials: “GTAC professional learning inspires different activities that I can use in the classroom and provides updates in emerging research that I can use to enrich student learning experiences.” “GTAC has had a positive influence on my professional practice. Their Professional Learning and classroom programs challenge and extend my thinking and that of my students.” “All the GTAC resources are amazing, well structured, and pitched to cater for all students. I love how a variety of modes are used to develop student understanding and to pull many concepts together. I can't recommend GTAC highly enough. Thank you for being an amazing provider and role model of Biology as a discipline, I know I and our students are highly grateful and appreciative of all they are gifted with. Thank you!” Connor, a year 10 student: “I have learnt things that I could never have learnt from school. It has been an extremely memorable experience that has sparked my passion in biology, and has helped me to see what it is really like to be a scientist and also how I could get there. I think that this experience has not only opened up what career pathways I can take in science, it has made me want to learn a lot more as I realised that there are always new discoveries and problems which arise and I find that really cool.” GTAC Scientist mentor: “The modelling task allowed these year 10 students to grasp the content with much less guidance from myself. They were able to use models to design an experiment for testing blood type using antibodies which was completely unexpected. The models also create the space for me to prompt the quieter students to participate and they are doing so and feeling a sense of satisfaction with their discoveries.” At GTAC we welcome the opportunity to share innovations in teaching in the Life Sciences. If you would like to visit us or have further questions please contact us. Together we continue to enhance the ability of young people to engage with the immunological sciences.