Education

1. Abstract

• Time: 20th of June, 2025
• Location: Jinshan Valley School, Guangzhou
• Members: Victoria, Tiger, Mia, William

2. Gain

Before the presentation, students' understanding of synthetic biology was generally weak. No student understands what synthetic biology is and its basic logic: 98% of the students had never heard of or learned about synthetic biology and confused the concepts of genes and DNA. However, after our explanation, they not only recognized the normative issues of synthetic biology but also applied what they had learned in scenarios. Moreover, in the post-course quiz, the accuracy rate was 100%

3. Adjust

During the one-hour class, the students showed great enthusiasm, but our limited classroom management skills led to some disorder, and the overly simple content left idle time. To improve, we should establish clear and simple rules at the start, supported by small rewards or visual aids, and use group-based management to share responsibility for maintaining order.

At the same time, the curriculum needs to be enriched by adding slightly more complex or real-life synthetic biology applications, along with tiered tasks that allow students of different levels to stay engaged. Incorporating more visuals, videos, and hands-on activities will also help sustain attention.

To maintain energy, frequent interaction points and simple real-time feedback tools, such as stickers or scorecards, should be included. Finally, each session should be followed by a brief internal review to assess content, control, and student responses, ensuring continuous improvement in balancing engagement and order.

1. Abstract

• Time: 23rd of June, 2025
• Location: LINK SPIDER
• Members: Alisa, George, Victoria, Tiger

2. Gain

Before the session, most students had never encountered DNA in a visual or experimental context. Many only had a vague idea of genetic material as a theoretical concept and lacked awareness of how scientists actually manipulate DNA. Through hands-on practice, students gained their first concrete understanding of DNA as a programmable and observable molecule.

They were able to articulate the purpose of gel electrophoresis, identify DNA movement by fragment size, and connect the technique to real-world applications in genetic engineering.

The experiment significantly increased students’ interest in biological sciences, with over 85% expressing excitement about future synthetic biology learning opportunities in the post-session feedback.

3. Adjust

While students were highly engaged throughout the session, we identified several areas for improvement to optimize both educational impact and classroom control. Due to an insufficient number of teaching assistants, the classroom became somewhat disorganized, which suggests that future experiment-based lessons should include more support staff to ensure smoother execution. At the same time, we found that students would benefit from richer content and clearer references, such as sample gel images for comparison, so that they can interpret results more confidently.

To address the varying pace of learners, differentiated mini-challenges like predicting fragment length or decoding sample identities could help keep students engaged faster while reducing idle time. Interaction also needs to be more structured, with active verbal checkpoints or visual cues every few minutes to maintain attention, and instant feedback tools such as emoji cards, sticker votes, or simple thumbs-up/down signals to quickly gauge understanding.

Finally, we realized the importance of internal post-session reviews to assess pacing, classroom atmosphere, and student responses, allowing us to continuously refine the balance between engagement and order.

1. Abstract

• Time: 27th of June, 2025
• Location: Auditorium
• Members: Victoria, Tiger, Jaycee, Hugo

2. Gain

Before the session, most students had little to no exposure to synthetic biology, and gene circuits were a completely new concept. Through the “gene matching game,” students began to connect specific functions (like plastic degradation or insulin production) with the corresponding engineered organisms, forming an intuitive understanding of gene-function relationships. In the gene circuit design challenge, they actively engaged in creating logic-based circuits using components like promoters and terminators to respond to environmental inputs. Over 80% of students reported a desire to explore more about synthetic biology in future sessions, indicating a significant boost in interest and conceptual understanding.

3. Adjust

While the overall session was well received, we recognized several ways the curriculum design could be improved to better support student learning. Some students struggled with terms like “promoter” and “coding sequence” during the gene circuit challenge, showing the need for clearer concept clarification through illustrated diagrams, flowcharts, and concrete examples at the start. In addition, the wide variation in student ability highlighted the need for tiered task design: while foundational tasks with step-by-step guidance should be provided for beginners, optional advanced challenges—such as incorporating feedback loops or conditional logic—can push more experienced students to think critically.

The integration of bioethics could also be strengthened by embedding ethical dilemmas directly into the design process, such as asking students to add a “safety lock” to engineered bacteria, which would deepen the real-world relevance of the activity. To further enhance interaction, students could briefly explain their logic after each design to reinforce understanding and receive quick feedback, while structured templates could guide their design thinking and enable self-assessment.

Ending the session with a design gallery walk, where students review each other’s work and vote on creativity, feasibility, or ethical soundness, would foster peer learning and add a collaborative, celebratory close.