Dominic Wan Teng Feng

When I first signed up for an educational UROPs project, I never expected to spend my semesters designing game sessions, working with students, and laughing over card-based intestines, but that’s exactly what I got with “No Guts No Glory!”.

 

This project allowed me to step outside the traditional lab setting and explore how gameplay could enhance biology education. I was involved in every step of evaluating the card game’s effectiveness, from scheduling and facilitating play sessions, gathering feedback, to creating questionnaires to quantitatively assessing how effectively the game helped students (from both microbiology and non-microbiology-related backgrounds) grasp microbiome concepts. It was really rewarding to see students genuinely engaged, asking questions, making new friends and learning through fun and cheerful interactions.

 

Beyond content and analytical knowledge, I developed skills in planning, data collection, and educational evaluation. Coordinating sessions involving over 200 participants taught me the important skills of organisation and communication, as well as honed my ability to adapt to quick-changing scenarios. I also had a lot of help from the really friendly and approachable team consisting not just folks from the Life Sciences department but also professors and research assistants from the Department of Psychology as well. Ultimately, I was in very good hands under the care of Dr Jun Hong and his awesome team, and am really grateful to have been able to work with such a passionate and thoughtful bunch on this project.

 

If you're someone who enjoys microbiome science but also wants to explore creativity, communication and real-world impact, I highly recommend taking on an educational research project like “No Guts No Glory!”. Perhaps through this unique experience you could see first-hand how learning doesn’t just have to happen in labs; it could happen in laughter, strategy, and a good card game too!