Microbes - the Gathering

Sometimes truth is stranger than Bonus Bogus Stories.

Beats micro-bee lectures, I guess...

Students learn about diseases through card game



SINGAPORE : Secondary school students may in the near future learn about diseases through a card game.

Players say this game tests their wit and knowledge of diseases.

Called Battle Cells Game Cards, it consists of two decks of cards - the pathogens or diseases, and the immune system.

It is modelled after how the body battles with deadly infectious diseases.

Players will have to reduce the health marks of the other players.

The player with the most marks wins. Initially developed by life sciences educational services and kit provider Genecet Biotechnologies, the task of modifying the cards was given to four Secondary 3 students from Raffles Institution as part of a research project.

"We wanted to create a card game that can cater to all types of learners. We want to get rid of outdated teaching methods such as textbooks which are no longer suited for children these days. We need more creative methods," said Tan Ee Kuan, a student at Raffles Institution.

Genecet says the card game is a suitable tool for students to learn about immunology and microbiology, and plans to market it.

It is hoped that with the element of fun and play, students will be motivated to learn more about diseases. "It will work well as a supplementary tool in the classroom. We feel that it serves the slogan "teach less, learn more" and bring fun to the classroom," said Jeffrey Lee at Genecet Biotechnologies.

So far about 10 schools have shown interest in buying the product.

Genecet says it plans to sell the cards at $20 each.

There are two decks of cards for each game but discounts will be given to students.

Raffles Institution will get a cut from the sale of the cards which will be ploughed back into the school fund.

There are also plans to develop a teacher's guide to facilitate teaching through the cards and expand these cards to include modules like ecology and even traditional Chinese medicine.

(source)

Now where's my SARS card?