Abstract
Genetic engineering has been used to aid produc¬tion of many high acreage crops in U.S. agriculture for nearly three decades. Despite this use of genetic engi¬neering to create widely grown crops that are classified as GMOs (genetically modified organisms), skepticism of this technology is prevalent and consumer attitudes have not become more accepting over time. There are many factors that contribute to an individual’s attitude toward genetic engineering, such as knowledge level, risk/benefit perception, background (urban vs. rural), gender and trust of government safety regulation. An online resource known as The Journey of a Gene was recently developed to teach the process of genetic engi¬neering and address attitude factors. This study was designed to test the impact of the online resource on student knowledge and attitudes. By surveying nearly 900 students, we found that the online resource was effective in increasing student knowledge and shifting student attitudes to become more accepting of genetic engineering technology. This increase in accepting atti¬tudes varied by gender, background and trust in gov¬ernment safety regulation. Our results demonstrate that genetic engineering attitudes are not static among young learners and the use of online, science-based learning resources can promote a more informed gen¬eration of consumers.
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