Engaged Undergraduate Research Grants
Digital Science Literacy about the Microbial World
Training high school students to evaluate online science resources and improve related Wikipedia entries
Even when we’re healthy, we make choices regarding the microbial world around and within us, such as taking probiotics or declining vaccinations. Information found online can influence these choices, but internet sources may be biased, inaccurate or incomplete. The importance of microbes in our lives demands greater accuracy in online content.
In this project, undergraduate researchers learn advanced skills in scientific digital literacy and apply that training to improve the accuracy of Wikipedia articles related to host-microbe interactions and disease. Through layered mentoring, the Cornell students train regional high school students in critical evaluation of online sources and guide them through edit-a-thons to improve Wikipedia entries.
Topics: Arts, Communication, Media and Design; Children, Youth, Seniors and Families; Education; Health, Nutrition and Medicine
The Team
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Tory Hendry, Department of Microbiology
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; Cornell Institute of Host-Microbe Interactions and Disease
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Brian Lazzaro, Department of Entomology; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; Cornell Institute of Host-Microbe Interactions and Disease
- Community partner: Regional High Schools