Scientific Articulation during Collaborative Digital Game-Based Learning Enhances Learning of Immunology.

Digital game-based learning has been used to help learners grasp complex concepts in science subjects such as immunology. The aim of this study was to examine whether playing a digital game collaboratively would encourage articulation of scientific terminology and concepts, and whether this would result in learning gains. Forty-seven students at a tertiary institution (17-19 y of age) played a game (n = 22) or watched a video of the game (n = 25) in small groups. This was followed by an activity to document the key learning points. Pretest and posttest results showed that although both groups had learning gains, the game-based learning group outperformed the video group for gains in procedural knowledge, suggesting that playing the game helped students to better internalize the steps involved in the immune response. For the game-based learning group, there was a positive correlation between the number of scientific terms articulated and the gains in the test scores. However, for the video group, there was no correlation. The implications for designing digital game-based learning activities for learning are discussed. The study was carried out in an online environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic mandating home-based learning at the time. The discussion also focuses on how the findings can be applied in an online and face-to-face context.

Quantitation of the mRNA levels of Epo and EpoR in various tissues in the ovine fetus.

A partial cDNA of the sheep erythropoietin receptor (EpoR) was obtained and used in real-time PCR to quantitate mRNA levels in placenta, liver and kidney throughout development (term=150 days). This was compared with Epo mRNA levels in the same tissues. Both Epo and EpoR mRNA were present in the placenta throughout gestation at low levels from 66 days onwards and these did not vary throughout gestation. Compared with the expression levels in the placenta, the levels of EpoR gene expression in the liver at 66, 99 and 140 days were, median (range)-288 (120-343), 278 (63-541) and 7 (3-15), respectively, reflecting the disappearance of erythropoiesis after 130 days. Low levels of EpoR gene expression were seen in the kidney at 3 (2-5), 5 (2-7), and 7 (2-10) times that in the placenta at 66, 99, and 140 days, respectively. By hybridization histochemistry the EpoR mRNA was located in the proximal tubular cells of the mesonephros and metanephros at 42 days. Epo mRNA levels in the kidney were 215 (116-867), 528 (113-765) and 46 (15-204) times those in the placenta at 69, 99, and 140 days, respectively. In the liver at the same ages the concentrations of mRNA were lower than in the kidney, the liver/placenta ratios being 50 (11-90), 17 (3-39), 9 (5-14). At 130 days Epo/EpoR levels in the hippocampus were 6+/-3 and 8+/-3 times that in the term placenta, respectively. These studies demonstrate that the ovine placenta expresses the Epo gene from at least 66 days of gestation. However, gene expression levels are very low compared with those in the liver and kidney, and even the hippocampus.