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Improving biotech education through gamified laboratory simulations

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Gamified laboratory simulations motivate students and improve learning outcomes compared with traditional teaching methods.

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Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3: Measurement of learning outcomes from 91 students.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge H.J. Genee, P. Rugbjerg, J. Serritslev, A. Laustsen, D. Møller, L. Holst, S. Heilmann, O. Filtenborg, E.B. Hansen, S. Molin, O.D. Madsen, B. Nauntofte, R. Frandsen, O. Thastrup, H.H.Wang, P. Falholt, J. Vind, J.T. Andersen, T. Damhus, B.T. Simonsen, C.B. Jorgensen, C.V.S. Bruun, K. Spohr, P. Gibson, J. Keasling, G.M. Church, J. Nielsen and B. Palsson for fruitful discussions, support and advice. We would also like to thank the Labster team for co-development of the gamified laboratory simulations, H. Bonde, G. Nixon and E. Earls for critical reading of the manuscript, as well as K. Failor and M. Huang for collaboration regarding the tests at Stanford University OHS and Archbishop Williams High School. We would like to acknowledge the student organization Biotech Academy at DTU for its role in disseminating science education and awareness to the young. This research was funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation and the Danish Market Development Fund, and the development of the laboratory simulations has been supported by The Danish Ministry of Science, the Danish Market Development Fund, The Lundbeck Foundation, The Danish Film Institute, Novo Nordisk A/S and Novozymes A/S.

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Correspondence to Mads T Bonde, Hanne Jarmer or Morten O A Sommer.

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M.T.B. has a financial interest in Labster ApS.

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Bonde, M., Makransky, G., Wandall, J. et al. Improving biotech education through gamified laboratory simulations. Nat Biotechnol 32, 694–697 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt.2955

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