Purpose
REGENERATIVE MEDICINE KNOWLEDGE SURVEY RESULTS FROM 446 VISITOR INTERACTIONS AT A PLANARIA POP-UP LAB IN 4 RURAL MINNESOTA COUNTY FAIRS, AUG. 1-SEPT. 8, 2019
BY Anne Brataas, M.S., M.En.S., M.A. Science Writer, Master Teacher, Children’s Publisher Our purpose was threefold: 1. To obtain preliminary foundational data from rural county fair goers about their basic awareness, understanding and opinions of the emerging sciences of regenerative medicine and stem cell biology as potential novel therapeutic modalities. 2. To learn fair goers’ attitudes toward regenerative medicine and stem cell biology as novel career paths providing the infrastructure of a new, expanded medical economy in Minnesota in the 21st century. 3. To teach informally through hands-on interactive experiences of planaria, amputated and intact, easily viewed through a video-microscope, with learning supported by coloring worksheets and other early education learning materials. At the lab booth we offered 3 types of learning experiences: A. Self-directed exploration of live planaria animals at various stages of amputation and recovery through regeneration by looking through the museum-quality video microscope that enlarged the animals 50x and broadcast the image on a 32 inch screen for easy and social viewing. B. Conversational engagement with lab manager Anne Brataas and 4H volunteers/interns in informal teaching C. Participating in the basic knowledge survey 
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Method
Project manager, lead scientist and teacher Anne Brataas administered a preliminary basic knowledge survey to self-selected populations of fair-goers who chose to explore our free, interactive Pop-Up Planaria Lab exhibit in Education Buildings at four rural Minnesota county fairs in the summer of 2019.
Fair sites were Cook County (n=85 interviews); Goodhue County (n=120); Murray County (n=120) and Lac qui Parle (n=121). She engaged groups of visitors to the lab booth at each fair to ask identical standardized survey questions to 446 groups who stopped, in a conversationa context. She recorded their answers manually on a clip board survey form, then transferred the hand-entered data to Google forms to generate digital graphics. See Survey Tab. On average, each survey interaction with a group of visitors took 15 minutes.
DEMOGRAPHICS & RESPONSE MANAGEMENT Survey respondents typically were a multigenerational family group, often of three generations, averaging 3.25 people per group. To record 1 answer for multiple people in a group, we chose the oldest, or most conversational, member and assigned their response to the proper age bracket and educational level on our survey form. We call each survey interview a “knowledge interaction,” because it was an opportunity for the survey administrator to both teach as well as record responses. We recorded 446 interactions in total over four county fairs, reaching 1,449.5 fairgoers.
Fair sites were Cook County (n=85 interviews); Goodhue County (n=120); Murray County (n=120) and Lac qui Parle (n=121). She engaged groups of visitors to the lab booth at each fair to ask identical standardized survey questions to 446 groups who stopped, in a conversationa context. She recorded their answers manually on a clip board survey form, then transferred the hand-entered data to Google forms to generate digital graphics. See Survey Tab. On average, each survey interaction with a group of visitors took 15 minutes.
DEMOGRAPHICS & RESPONSE MANAGEMENT Survey respondents typically were a multigenerational family group, often of three generations, averaging 3.25 people per group. To record 1 answer for multiple people in a group, we chose the oldest, or most conversational, member and assigned their response to the proper age bracket and educational level on our survey form. We call each survey interview a “knowledge interaction,” because it was an opportunity for the survey administrator to both teach as well as record responses. We recorded 446 interactions in total over four county fairs, reaching 1,449.5 fairgoers.
FINDINGS
There is uniformly high interest in this topic. The following 7 main preliminary findings were consistent across all four county fairs, specifically:
1. Most people have heard of stem cells.
2. Few people have heard of regenerative medicine.
3. Most people feel positively toward stem cells.
4. Most people feel unsure about regenerative medicine.
5. Many people lack sufficient education in biology to comprehend the basic concept of stem cell plasticity — in several cases being unfamiliar with what a “cell” is, and on several occasions believig the therapy consisted of injecting, eating or otherwise introducing planaria into a diseased body.
6. The economic and career potential that regenerative medicine holds for future generations are appealing to most people.
7. Few people reject the concept of regenerative medicine outright. When they do, it is suspicion due to lack of scientific knowledge, or a religious bias that ascribes all healing to god.
1. Most people have heard of stem cells.
2. Few people have heard of regenerative medicine.
3. Most people feel positively toward stem cells.
4. Most people feel unsure about regenerative medicine.
5. Many people lack sufficient education in biology to comprehend the basic concept of stem cell plasticity — in several cases being unfamiliar with what a “cell” is, and on several occasions believig the therapy consisted of injecting, eating or otherwise introducing planaria into a diseased body.
6. The economic and career potential that regenerative medicine holds for future generations are appealing to most people.
7. Few people reject the concept of regenerative medicine outright. When they do, it is suspicion due to lack of scientific knowledge, or a religious bias that ascribes all healing to god.
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"SO COOL!" is the most common response from visitors.
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