title: Viruses, Vaccines and the Public.
abstract: Current research in virology is changing public conceptions about vaccines and infectious disease. The University of Nebraska State Museum collaborated with research virologists, science writers, artists and learning researchers to create public outreach materials about viruses and infectious disease. The project, funded by the National Institute of Health's SEPA program, developed comics, a book with Carl Zimmer, and other materials and programs. The project launched three kinds of learning research: 1) a survey of Nebraska adults on their opinions about vaccines and infectious disease; 2) a study comparing the mental models of viruses, vaccines and infection from virologists, teachers, and students; and 3) a controlled study 873 high school students randomly assigned to read either a comic or a text-based essay with the same virus information.
authors.affiliation: University of Nebraska State Museum.
authors.forename: Judy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Diamond
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McQuillan
authors.affiliation: Center for Instructional Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
authors.forename: Amy N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Spiegel
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
authors.forename: Patricia Wonch
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.affiliation: Science & Health Education Partnership, University of California Medical Center.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Nebraska Center for Virology.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: West
authors.affiliation: Nebraska Center for Virology, School of Biological Sciences, and Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wood
keywords: comics; microbes; museum; outreach; vaccine; viruses