Sample student responses from the handout after playing the Human Gut Game in a high school introductory biology course.
| Analysis/Reflection Question . | Sample Student Responses . |
|---|---|
| How does the diversity of gut bacteria connect to your overall health? | “Well the more diversity you had the better your health was because bad bacteria had no diversity and the bad bacteria sent signals to your brain for what to eat and good bacteria fought off harmful bacteria.” “The more diverse the bacteria, the healthier you are.” “Different species of bacteria help different things. SO having more diversity means that there will be more bacteria helping either attack bad things in your gut or repair and strengthen your gut.” “When you have a good amount with a good diversity can help bowel movement, your immune system, and can help fight against bad bacteria you ate.” |
| Will you make different choices about food after playing the game? | “Yes, well because the bad bacteria has weird side effects but also because good bacteria looks pretty cool.” “Probably not; I might change a few things, but I’ve been fairing pretty well with my current diet so far.” “After playing this game I think my snacking choices might change. I don’t eat a lot of fried food to begin with but maybe I’ll try ordering something other than chicken fingers when I go out. I will also be eating more fiber and foods that are not highly processed.” “I think I might just because I got to see all of the effects on your mood and test scores.” |
| Did you enjoy learning through this game? Explain. | “Yes! That was a very fun way to learn. I will remember this lesson.” “I did! It was a very fun way to learn.” “Yes, I’m a very visual person.” “Yes I did enjoy learning through this game because it both had information and also a fun gameplay.” “Yes, because I’m a visual learner so it was a lot easier to retain information.” “I thought the game was fun and really helped me learn. I liked that it was hands-on. I would not have understood/comprehended the information as much if it was in a different form of learning. I love how hands on this class is.” “I did enjoy learning through this game because its very interactive and competitive in a way.” |
| Analysis/Reflection Question . | Sample Student Responses . |
|---|---|
| How does the diversity of gut bacteria connect to your overall health? | “Well the more diversity you had the better your health was because bad bacteria had no diversity and the bad bacteria sent signals to your brain for what to eat and good bacteria fought off harmful bacteria.” “The more diverse the bacteria, the healthier you are.” “Different species of bacteria help different things. SO having more diversity means that there will be more bacteria helping either attack bad things in your gut or repair and strengthen your gut.” “When you have a good amount with a good diversity can help bowel movement, your immune system, and can help fight against bad bacteria you ate.” |
| Will you make different choices about food after playing the game? | “Yes, well because the bad bacteria has weird side effects but also because good bacteria looks pretty cool.” “Probably not; I might change a few things, but I’ve been fairing pretty well with my current diet so far.” “After playing this game I think my snacking choices might change. I don’t eat a lot of fried food to begin with but maybe I’ll try ordering something other than chicken fingers when I go out. I will also be eating more fiber and foods that are not highly processed.” “I think I might just because I got to see all of the effects on your mood and test scores.” |
| Did you enjoy learning through this game? Explain. | “Yes! That was a very fun way to learn. I will remember this lesson.” “I did! It was a very fun way to learn.” “Yes, I’m a very visual person.” “Yes I did enjoy learning through this game because it both had information and also a fun gameplay.” “Yes, because I’m a visual learner so it was a lot easier to retain information.” “I thought the game was fun and really helped me learn. I liked that it was hands-on. I would not have understood/comprehended the information as much if it was in a different form of learning. I love how hands on this class is.” “I did enjoy learning through this game because its very interactive and competitive in a way.” |