Scientists, caregivers and tamariki share what they’ve learned by participating in The Science of Medicines project.
Question for discussion
- What are some of the discoveries the participants made?
- What learning could be developed further?
- Are there science capabilities that could be developed using this context?
Transcript
Dr Karyn Maclennan
We wanted the children to be able to take some facts about viruses and vaccines and be able to incorporate them into a game that was educational but fun.
Callum
I now understand how vaccines work. They create a less-deadly copy of the virus in your system so your system can properly put up defences, and if you really get infected, they would know how to defeat it this time.
Anya
White blood cells are so versatile and adaptable. By learning from antibodies, they can take down just about anything really with enough help. It’s like – wow – that blew my mind.
Dr Karyn Maclennan
One thing about the whole Science of Medicines project was seeing how some of our resources could engage the children and young people in a really hands-on way, but at the same time, their caregivers or their whānau were with them, and we could have conversations with those people at maybe a different level than we would with the children. And we saw that same thing happening in our D-BUG Game Design workshops.
Omar
I didn’t know there was different types of white blood cells.
Alika
He opened the YouTube video to check what is the different virus and he even explained to his sisters, you know? He has discussions with the friends at school as well.
Antonia Hoeta
We didn’t anticipate how much the kids would get into the clay making, and actually seeing their artistic flair come out was amazing.
Raewyn Glenn
Callum discovered how much he liked making things in clay. And then he discovered Blender. He was quite empowered by learning that he could make something out of clay then put it on the computer and then make it move.
Callum
This experience has just been really good. It’s helped me with my clay skills, Blender skills and knowing about vaccine sciences and all that good stuff.
Dr Karyn Maclennan
The parents or the caregivers were also getting really involved and having conversations around the table or in front of the computer screen about viruses and vaccines and about gaming.
The most rewarding aspects from The Science of Medicines project overall is their connection with communities – really seeing the want for conversations about medicines face to face and in a way that’s relevant.
Raewyn Glenn
It’s like science is really positive, it’s not scary. You can use your own brain and engage with it.
Anya
Yeah, we definitely need to believe science because our body is amazing, but it does need support to do everything it needs to do and keep you healthy. Being able to learn about how the body functions really sparked an interest for me.
Isla
I’d like to learn more about different vaccines for different viruses and what’s in the vaccine.
Antonia Hoeta
We live in a world where it’s like information overload at the moment. We don’t realise that our babies are getting it as well. I expected their stories just to be on viruses and how they move around the environment. But they’re talking about governmental policies and how people interact with each other in the world – and they’re only 10 or younger. So that was unexpected, but really cool to see.
Mila
Someone might have told you something which was untrue. If you get vaccinated, you’re more likely to be saved from the virus than if you don’t.
Anya
We can’t just disregard modern medicine. These viruses, they will keep adapting, and COVID-19 is actually probably one of the best examples. That’s why the scientists go through such rigorous testing before new vaccines and new medicines are brought out on the market.
Callum
Like, back in ye olden days, if you get a common cold, you would basically die in days. But once people had chances to learn, now we’re working on getting viruses sorted out, which is a pretty amazing feat for humans and it’s right up there with getting to the Moon.
Acknowledgements
Dr Karyn Maclennan, Te Roopū Rakahau Hauora Māori o Kāi Tahu | Ngāi Tahu Māori Health Research Unit, University of Otago
Callum
Anya
Omar
Alika
Antonia Hoeta, Tūhura Otago Museum
Raewyn Glynn
Isla
Mila
D-BUG information sheets including details of community of people/game console and antigens/antibodies, courtesy of The Science of Medicines with thanks to Green Grubs Design for some design work and Annah for use of some illustrative elements
