Primary school pupils in Glasgow have helped to make an app to teach children about respiratory viruses such as Covid-19.
The Co-Immunicate app is aimed at children aged 5 to 11 and is designed to teach them about respiratory viruses and how people’s immune systems help to protect them against infection.
The app uses augmented reality, quizzes and a game in an interactive learning experience, and will be presented to the Glasgow Science Festival, which runs until 12 June.
The software was developed by staff from the University of Glasgow, the Glasgow School of Art and pupils at Anderston Primary School.
Headteacher Elizabeth Hendry said the project is “particularly relevant under the current circumstances” and “has definitely inspired many of our young people”.
New app to teach school pupils about Covid
Pupils in last year’s P6-7 class provided drawings that were used to illustrate what happens after a respiratory virus infection and to help explain what viruses are.
They provided voiceovers for the app, helped the developers test the software and gave feedback to improve it.
The app uses research from the University of Glasgow Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, where scientists work to understand how respiratory infections change the cells that make up the respiratory tract, and how immune cells move into the lung to protect it from a future attack.
Dr Megan Macleod, senior lecturer at the institute, said: “We wanted to create a fun and informative tool to help the pupils and the broader community understand what happens after a respiratory virus infection.”
As well as schoolchildren and scientists, Glasgow School of Art’s School of Simulation and Visualisation was brought in to help design the app.
Dr Matthieu Poyade, a research fellow in the department who helped to make the app with colleague Orla McCorry, said: “It was really exiting being able to engage pupils in the design of the app.
“With this approach we expect to be able to make immunology more accessible to kids, using augmented reality on widely available mobile devices.”
