Undergraduate Research Conference Proceedings

An inquiry-based, five-day educational module on CRISPR/Cas9 was developed for high school students. The module utilized engaging wet-lab activities, in which students learned about the mechanisms of CRISPR/Cas9, DNA/RNA, and real-life applications through interactive, hands-on activities. Guided by five or more undergraduate students, students enhanced their skills by learning to generate and test their own hypotheses, collect data, and present results. Our goals included increasing students' understanding and retention of gene editing concepts and their real-world relevance, and to increase overall interest in science.

This module has been run in three Santa Barbara high schools, totaling 89 students. Before and after the module, students were surveyed on conceptual understanding, revealing an average increase of 30% (additive increase, p < 0.001). We are currently enhancing the module to increase student engagement and ensure its continued success.