Evaluating a Mobile-based Genetics Learning Platform in K-12 Educators Teaching After-School Programs

In the 2020s, there is no doubt that teaching computer science to K-12 students is beneficial for their future. Similarly, teaching genetics will soon take the spotlight as we move towards a future where humans can sequence and design DNA.

The project is a usability study which includes the prototyping and evaluation of a mobile-based genetics learning platform designed for K-12 students and educators. The target audience for this study were educators teaching any after-school program. In the development phase, a mobile-based application was developed using the integrated development environment Xcode. The content of the application includes lessons inspired from a NC-State-University middle-school curriculum, mini-learning games, and open-source educational videos. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the user-friendliness of the developed mobile-platform. In the evaluation stage, individual usability tests of the mobile-based app were conducted with each selected volunteer. A total of fourteen educators teaching after-school programs to K-12 students participated. Educators were asked to sign a consent form. A pre-survey was administered after each educator was cleared to participate. During the usability test, each subject was asked to complete specific tasks on the mobile-based app to evaluate the app’s user-friendliness. Participants filled out a post-task survey afterwards. Screen user-activity and audio was recorded for consequent data analysis.

The lessons learned from this study indicate that teachers appreciated the simplicity of the mobile-app and colorful design. Future studies will explore the option of allowing more personalization of the app by the users.