HEADS UP
Filmmakers at the University of Texas make learning about science enjoyable

By Debbie L. Sklar

Learning about science can sometimes be tedious, but it’s now more fun thanks to Nancy G. Murray, DrPH, and Nathalie Sessions, who work at the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Advancement of Healthy Living, School of Public health, University of Texas.

The two educators are rightfully proud of their production, HEADS UP: The Immune System & Infectious Diseases, and they should be considering they recently won an Accolade Award of Merit for the project. Murray and Sessions also won an Accolade Award of Excellence, for an earlier production, Advanced Genetics.

Currently, HEADS UP (an acronym for Health Education And Discovering Science while Unlocking Potential) consists of six educational modules. The feature DVD vignettes, with a real-life cast of students interacting with actual scientists and other health science professionals, and are supported with attention-grabbing graphics. DVDs also include short video biographies highlighting a number of different science-related careers.

“The purpose of HEADS UP is to pique student interest in science and health science careers,” says Murray, an assistant professor of behavioral sciences at the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Advancement of Healthy Living. “We want students to watch the videos and say, “I can do that!” Our main message is that students can become scientists like the ones they see in the videos. Please note that we made every effort to recruit scientists like our students – female, Hispanic, African-American, from farm families, from the city, from Central America, and just people! We also recruited scientists at many levels of education and expertise, from the people who maintain the equipment, the people who manages the research animal lab, to the M.D.s and Ph.D.s.”

Dr. Murray recently spoke to Accolade about the project and how much fun they had doing it.

Q: What is the role of the University of Texas in terms of HEADS UP?

A: HEADS UP is housed in the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Advancement of Healthy Living, one of several research centers that is part of the School of Public Health at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. The University provides administrative support and oversight, as well as access to experts, facilities, materials, and ideas. Without the University support, we would not have been able to gain NIH funding for this project.

Q: Why did you decide to write this particular script?

A: We decided to write this particular script in the initial stages of developing a grant proposal in 2003. The science curriculum specialist for our partner school district recommended a module that would explore a specific system at the same time as my team was working with an expert in the UTHSC who had a fascinating career as an immunologist. ith the match between the need for more science resource materials on the immune system, the availability of scientific expertise on the immune system, and the award of the grant from NIH, we were able to move forward with this script. Serendipitously, a new graduate student approached me for a job as a graduate research assistant who had coursework and interest in immunology, so we hired her and engaged her mentor from her undergraduate institution to also serve as a scientific expert for this module.

Q: How did you get started?

A: I got started with HEADS UP as a result of an earlier project that incorporated video clips into PowerPoint presentations to explain the Coordinated School Health Model to university instructors and their students. This project followed on the heels of a project to develop a video to disseminate an evidence-based coordinated school health program, and I began work on that dissemination video shortly after completing my doctorate in Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Texas. I was brought into a project funded by NIH to rethink a middle school health science education program and created the HEADS UP process of development at that time with some current students and media staff at UTSPH. The Immune System and Infectious Diseases module was created under a new 5-year Science Education Partnership Award grant from NIH that evolved out of this earlier work and retained the HEADS UP identity.

Q: Who did what on the project?

A: I am the Principal Investigator of the HEADS UP project and Nathalie Sessions is the project director. We worked very closely together on the video production, I serving as executive producer and Nathalie as the production manager. As PI, I hired Nathalie when this grant was first funded in 2004 and we have worked closely together ever since. She brings to the project experience in video production and project management/event planning and I bring to the project expertise in the development of interventions for behavior/knowledge change based on theory, empirical evidence, and information from the target population.

Q: Did you always want to be a filmmaker?

A: I have always wanted to improve people’s lives through better health and educational attainment and I find media an effective strategy. I have worked with ‘small media’ such as print newsletters, participated in the development of a computer game for smoking prevention/cessation using video and animations, and developed several videos in addition to HEADS UP. I don’t consider myself a filmmaker but do consider myself a behavioral scientist who can design media and find creative and talented filmmakers to create the finished project.

Nathalie was hired as project director in part because of her background in the film and video industry and because of her organized creativity and connections to people in the video industry.

Q: What was the chemistry between you as the producer/writer and your director and actors?

A: We’ve been fortunate to assemble a great team of scientists, curriculum specialists, classroom teachers, students, and production personnel who all worked well together. Our scientists have been eager to share their expertise and their stories with middle and high school students and have been delighted to be able to do so through HEADS UP. We are continually amazed at the hours of donated time provided by our experts in the creation and review of the scripts and in the filming process. One of the key elements of HEADS UP is the positive on-screen interaction between the student actors and the experts. It has been my observation that the set is an intense and happy place with curiosity and communication on all sides.

Q: Did you have any unusual difficulties during filming?

A: An amusing difficulty has been to get the experts to relax and play their roles and remember their lines. All of our experts are scientists who love to talk about their work and tell their stories, so sometimes it was a bit challenging to keep them between the lines.

Q: What lessons did you learn while making this film, and what advice do you have for first-time filmmakers?

From my perspective, it is about carefully developing learning objectives for the films and using evidence-based methods and strategies to meet those objectives. My training as a behavioral scientist and our use of the Intervention Mapping process provided the foundation on which Nathalie could plan. Assembling a fun, resourceful, and engaged team and supporting that team to make the most of their talents and skills is another key element.

Q: How long did it take to make the film?

A: Production of Advanced Genetics took about one year and The Immune System & Infectious Diseases took about 18 months.

Q: How much money did it cost?

A: The amount for production (scripting, filming, editing, graphics/animations, and student actors) was about $68,000 for Advanced Genetics and $55,000 for The Immune System & Infectious Diseases.

Q: Is the film to be used in conjunction with other lessons by teachers or on its own?

A: The DVDs are accompanied by Teacher CDs. Teacher CDs contain classroom activities that expand on topics introduced in the videos and also include teacher information sheets, glossaries, TAKS prep, assessment tools, and additional resources.

Q: What grade levels is HEADS UP suited for?

A: In general, HEADS UP is intended for grades 6 to 10. Advanced Genetics is aimed primarily for pre-advanced placement 8th grade and high school biology.

Q: What has the feedback been from teachers and students?

A: For many years, U.S. students have been falling behind in science and math scores, a problem of such great concern to the U.S. government that the National Institutes of Health is funding partnerships between health scientists and educators. HEADS UP, an 8-year project funded by NIH, has been proven to raise Stanford Achievement Test scores in science and interest in science in a rigorous research study. HEADS UP has had rave reviews from teachers. Teachers and students are excited about seeing the career opportunities explored in HEADS UP and teachers seem to appreciate the use of medicine and the human body to explain scientific concepts. Teachers are especially appreciative of our diabetes module as so many of their students are dealing with diabetes in their families.

Q: How do teacher/educators obtain the CD?

A: HEADS UP materials are disseminated throughout Texas primarily via teacher professional development activities. When possible, modules are provided to teachers free of charge or for a minimal duplication fee. For larger group trainings, the cost of duplication is typically covered by the host organization. Since 2005, more than 500 educators across Texas have attended a HEADS UP training. From 2005 to 2009, 120+ educators have participated in a multi-day Teacher Summer Science Institute.

Anyone with access to the Internet may visit the project site to view sneak previews of several videos, see sample activities, and access all 34 Career Story Videos by viewing them online or clicking on a link to view or download them to an iPod from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston’s iTunes U.

Q: Will winning Accolade Awards help your career and help promote your film?

A: Winning two Accolade Awards adds credibility and value to the project and plays a role in helping us market the materials to science, health, and career technology educators. We do have scientific evidence that earlier HEADS UP modules (which were not submitted for Accolade review) are effective in increasing achievement test scores in science and interest in science that has recently been published in a major peer-reviewed journal (Academic Medicine). This publication is important to the scientific community. The Accolade Awards are important to the education community and add an element of excitement and glamour to HEADS UP that help us to promote the program.