The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impacts of informal educational tools used by the Midwest Center of Excellence for Vector-Borne Disease in collaboration with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Children aged 6-12 will receive an educational activity about ticks. They will be asked questions before and after the activity and will participate for between 30-60 minutes.
Children will be asked to complete a "before" survey which will include a drawing of a tick and some questions asking about their attitudes towards ticks. They will then complete an educational activity about ticks, and an "after" survey including another drawing and some survey questions. The parent or guardian will fill out a short survey of background information while the child participates in the study.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
1,000
Nymphal and adult blacklegged ticks are glued to the mannequins to mimic potential acquisition or attachment sites. At outreach events, participants are invited to perform a thorough tick check on the mannequin. This activity helps participants identify the different life stages of the blacklegged tick and understand the size differences between nymphal and adult ticks. The "tick check" mannequins also wear both light and dark-colored clothing to show how clothing color affects tick detection.
Adult and nymphal blacklegged ticks are glued to an "everything" bagel. The bagel is covered in sesame and poppy seeds, which is the comparison commonly used to describe the size of adult and nymphal blacklegged ticks, respectively. Participants are then invited to search the bagel for ticks. The activity demonstrates the size differences between the adult and nymphal life stages and the proper search image for finding nymphs during a tick check.
Outreach Sites
Madison, Wisconsin, United States
Tick Education Survey Score
A survey delivered to children before and after an educational activity about ticks. 7 items scored on a 4-point likert scale. Total possible range of scores from \[7-21\] where higher scores indicate increased understanding about ticks.
Time frame: before activity, after activity (up to 60 minutes)
Time Taken to Complete Activity
Time frame: up to 60 minutes
Overall score on post-knowledge survey
Participants will be quizzed and percent correct will be reported.
Time frame: up to 60 minutes
Participant Engagement (semi-observational)
Participants will be surveyed for their post-activity feedback. Emergent themes will be summarized by participant count.
Time frame: up to 60 minutes
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The LEGO tick is an activity that leverages play-based learning to increase awareness of ticks and tick-borne diseases, and it has the potential to significantly enhance our educational efforts by increasing engagement. This Build-a-Tick Kit is comprised of 83 LEGO bricks and offers a hands-on learning experience with multiple learning outcomes. Participants learn about the various morphological parts of a blacklegged tick during the building experience, such as the mouth parts and their function in disease transmission, the number of legs, and the body shapes and colors for an adult blacklegged tick. Additional information on ticks and tick-borne diseases is incorporated into the building instructions included in the Build-a-Tick Kit.