Outreach activity: Demonstration of Biological Experiments to village students

An outreach activity involving SSBS students on “demonstration of biological experiments - education through demonstration”, was conducted on Saturday, 23rd September 2023 at Mahatma Phule School, Lavale, Mulshi, Pune, Maharashtra, India. This activity was aimed at educating the village students about the biological equipment and techniques used for monitoring the health condition. During this session M.Sc. Biotechnology students demonstrated two experiments to the students: 1. Blood grouping 2. Identification and quantification of blood cells by differential staining. The session was meant for the school students belonging to class 8-10th standard. The demonstrated experiments were aligned with their syllabus and aimed at enhancing their understanding of the cells actively involved in body defense. Prior to demonstration, attending school students were first made aware of the principles behind the experiments and its clinical importance and applications. For this purpose, information was delivered through blackboard teaching or power point presentation.

By actively participating in the teaching activity, the M.Sc. students got sensitized to the importance of passing on the gained knowledge to the next generation of students lacking exposure to advanced laboratory infrastructure. Having utilised the gained knowledge for educating the needy children they felt a moral satisfaction. On the other hand, the experimental demonstration carried out by them brought raised the excitement and curiosity about the technology and procedures used for monitoring the human health. By learning about the blood grouping technique, the students got an insight about our own body cells involved in the vital processes like energy supply and defence. Also, they learnt about the molecular and cellular differences amongst individuals which must be kept in mind before selecting a donor for blood transfer. Additionally, by learning about the Giemsa staining, students got to know about different types of blood cells, their physiological role and morphology associated with them. Live demonstration of experiments enhanced the practical understanding of students and later on they were able to explain the topics covered during the session.