The Future of Education

Among all the sciences, biology holds a unique place: it is the science of life itself, the key to understanding who we are, and the ecosystems we depend on. Yet despite its relevance, biology is often seen as complex as well as merely complicated, confined to laboratories or textbooks. Making it accessible, engaging, and compelling is one of the most pressing challenges of modern science communication. The ability to communicate science efficaciously balancing accuracy with creativity has become increasingly essential. Several educational approaches can be used to spark students’ interest in STEM disciplines. Specifically, the use of gamification as learning tool can be a valuable way to help pupils in studying biological sciences while having fun. In this work, we present an educational activity “Dancing with DNA” (original title in Italian “La Danza del DNA”) designed for primary and middle schools (8 to 12 years old), to approach fundamental biological topics such as cell cycle (the life of a cell) and DNA replication. The educational activity was tested both in formal (i.e., primary and middle schools) and informal (i.e., open-access events) educational environments. This contribution actually illustrates the experience achieved during the Genova Science Festival 2025, Italy's largest science communication event. The workshop consisted of an initial training phase that includes images, videos, and 2D and 3D models. Pupils are then engaged in a practical and playful activity, to figure out the mechanism of DNA duplication and cell division. Indeed, each participant acted as a nucleotide of the DNA molecule (A, T, C, G: adenine, thymine, cytosine and guanine) or as one of the protein involved in the biological process and, working together, they simulated the process of DNA replication by applying the rules of complementary base pairing (A::T, C::G). The feedback collected to evaluate scientific engagement, learning outcomes and enjoyment suggest that the activity was effective in supporting self‑perceived learning and was well appreciated by primary and middle school students, regardless of their initial familiarity with DNA. This case study strengthen the potential of gamification-based approach and support the growing body of evidence favoring active and engaging learning strategies over conventional formats to promote interest in scientific subjects.

Keywords: gamification; science communication; biology; DNA

REFERENCES

“Festival della Scienza”, Genova, 23^rd october – 2^nd november 2025, Italy.  https://festival2025.festivalscienza.it/programma-2025/la-danza-del-dna