A programme-wide training framework to facilitate scientific communication skills development amongst biological sciences Masters students

Abstract

In this article we describe the effectiveness of a programme-wide communication skills training framework incorporated within a one-year biological sciences taught Masters course designed to enhance the competency of students in communicating scientific research principally to a scientific audience. In one class we analysed the numerical marks achieved by students (N 61) for specific communication assignments completed at the start and at the end of the course. This was complemented by questionnaires administered to students at the beginning and at the end of the course to self-assess their competency and to elicit their views on the usefulness of the training received. We considered three questions: did students' communication skills improve during the course; did the outcomes depend on the place of previous education (UK or non-UK); and how useful did students consider the learning and teaching activities to be? We show that the training improved students' self-reported competency in most of the communication skills considered. Coursework marks for writing literature reviews improved during the course (p < 0.001). Those marks were marginally associated (that is, approaching statistical significance after Bonferroni correction) with the place of previous education (relatively high in UK students; p = 0.005). Coursework marks for writing research proposals did not change during the course (p = 0.361) but did depend on place of previous education (relatively high for UK students (p = 0.001). Although this small study's intriguing results merit further investigation, our initial data supports the use of a programme-wide framework of the type presented here to facilitate communications skills development amongst biological science graduate students.

Integrating Communication Skills into Undergraduate Science Degrees: A Practical and Evidence-Based Approach

“…In facilitating the dissemination and uptake of these 'template package' activities, we can look to previous examples of successful pedagogical practice. For example, Divan and Mason (2015) took a programme-wide approach to developing science-specific communication skills in a biosciences graduate program in the UK. One part of this process took the approach of 'writing across the curriculum' (Craig, 2011) which involved integrating communication activities into specialist courses across the degree program with positive results.…”

Teaching Scientists to Communicate: Evidence-based assessment for undergraduate science education

“…One Australian study found that explicit teaching of an opinion-editorial writing style in an undergraduate physiology and pharmacology course led to improvements in the students' abilities to communicate effectively in writing with the lay public (Moni, Hryciw, Poronnik, & Moni, 2007). Another study based in the UK found that making expectations explicit when teaching communication in a science graduate program was important for quality learning (Divan & Mason, 2015). This indicates that there has been some documented success in applying the lens of explicit instruction to teaching communication skills in undergraduate science.…”

A Quality Approach to Masters Education Using an Australian Case Study -- A Reflection

“…It was discovered that 27 articles discussed AQF compliant courses. The articles identified relating to AQF compliant courses in the university sector covered a wide diversity of disciplines and subject areas including: accounting [7]; business coaching [8]; economics [9]; event management [10]; health degrees [11]; law [12]; sciences [13]; broad tertiary focus [14]; employment outcomes or precise skills [15]; Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses [16]; and undergraduate courses [17]. Others simply conversed about their programs or skills but were not connected to the AQF and were omitted.…”