Building Scientific Communication Skills through MythBusters Videos and Community Engagement

Flener-Lovitt, Charity; Shinneman, Avery Cook; Adams, Kara

doi:10.1021/bk-2019-1327.ch013

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 54 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In recent years, many works in the literature have detailed innovative ways to help students better understand and communicate chemistry. Such efforts include incorporating activities and technology in the chemistry curriculum, such as multimedia tools, − social media, − Wikipedia, − art, , computational modeling, − outreach activities, − and pop culture. − Student reflections on these engagement mediums suggest an overall positive impact on developing students’ creativity and improving their scientific communication skills.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of an Infographic Assignment for an Introductory Chemistry Laboratory Curriculum

Prasad

Freeman

2023

J. Chem. Educ.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In recent years, pedagogical advancements have allowed the adoption of more engaging forms of course assignments to help students better understand and communicate chemistry. In this context, informational graphics, known as infographics, emerge as an effective teaching aid in educational settings and in disseminating scientific content to the public. This article describes the design of an infographic assignment and its implementation in a first-year chemistry laboratory course at the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus. The overarching goal of this assignment was to incorporate the thematic framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals into the laboratory curriculum while encouraging systems thinking and promoting science communication initiatives. The students’ attitudes toward this assignment via submitted self-reflection survey results are also discussed. Our findings reveal an overall positive student experience suggesting the infographic assignments’ ability to foster student engagement and critical thinking skills.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of an Infographic Assignment for an Introductory Chemistry Laboratory Curriculum

Prasad

Freeman

2023

J. Chem. Educ.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Effective communication skills are no longer considered a luxury in chemical enterprise. Instead, meaningful writing and persuasive speaking for a broad range of audiences have become integral parts of the standard core professional skills required for scientific and professional success in the workforce − and graduate school. − Despite recent discourse emphasizing the importance of scientific communication, especially in a scholarly sense, it is a perennial problem originating at the undergraduate level. , It is well documented that undergraduate science students frequently struggle with written − and oral − communication skills. ,− This persists into graduate school, − ,− the medical fields, − and the workforce. ,,,, To meet this challenge, educators have been urged to adopt curricular changes that will foster strong communication skills in their students. ,,,− …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Scientific Method as a Scaffold to Enhance Communication Skills in Chemistry

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Scientific success in the field of chemistry depends upon the mastery of a wide range of soft skills, most notably scientific writing and speaking. However, training for scientific communication is typically limited at the undergraduate level, where students struggle to express themselves in a clear and logical manner. The underlying issue is deeper than basic technical skills; rather, it is a problem of students’ unawareness of a fundamental and strategic framework for writing and speaking with a purpose. The methodology has been implemented for individual mentorship and in our regional summer research program to deliver a blueprint of thought and reasoning that endows students with the confidence and skills to become more effective communicators. Our didactic process intertwines undergraduate research with the scientific method and is partitioned into six steps, referred to as “phases”, to allow for focused and deep thinking on the essential components of the scientific method. The phases are designed to challenge the student in their zone of proximal development so they learn to extract and ultimately comprehend the elements of the scientific method through focused written and oral assignments. Students then compile their newly acquired knowledge to create a compelling and logical story, using their persuasive written and oral presentations to complete a research proposal, final report, and formal 20 min presentation. We find that such an approach delivers the necessary guidance to promote the logical framework that improves writing and speaking skills. Over the past decade, we have witnessed both qualitative and quantitative gains in the students’ confidence in their abilities and skills (developed by this process), preparing them for future careers as young scientists.

show abstract

“…One such PBL practice is the presentation format for project deliverables, which can occur in-person or virtually. In-person presentations of a poster, product prototype, or live demonstration are commonly employed for PBL, ,,, but virtual presentation formats, including video broadcasts, are increasingly gaining popularity. ,, Understanding the differences between presentation formats on engaged-learning outcomes becomes critical when in-person presentation formats no longer become available.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Virtual versus In-Person Presentation as a Project Deliverable Differentially Impacts Student Engaged-Learning Outcomes in a Chemical Engineering Core Course

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Over the past decade, the increasingly globalized society has continually redefined the qualities and skills of an ideal engineering graduate for industry and academic careers, and, more recently, in light of a global pandemic in 2020, the pedagogical environment has shifted toward a virtual classroom setting. Because the engineering and social challenges of the modern world are rapidly evolving, it is important to adapt teaching methods that reflect these changing times. An increasingly attractive teaching method in the engineering classroom is project-based learning (PBL), which is known to improve engaged-learning outcomes, such as creativity, risk taking, social responsibility, teamwork, self-confidence, and communication. However, it is still unclear how various PBL practices differentially impact these engaged-learning outcomes. Toward the goal of elucidating this, the impact of two different project formats, a virtual presentation versus an in-person presentation, was evaluated for a junior-level chemical engineering core course, Mass and Heat Transfer, over 2 years (248 students total). In surveys conducted after the projects were completed, students were asked to what degree the project improved each of the learning outcomes on a scale of 0 (no impact) to 10 (great impact). Data from these postproject surveys showed no statistically significant differences in impact on teamwork, self-confidence, and communication skills between the two groups. However, the virtual presentation had statistically significant greater positive impacts on student creativity [mean score: 8.9/10 (virtual) vs 7.7/10 (in-person); p < 0.001] and risk taking [mean score: 7.7/10 (virtual) vs 6.1/10 (in-person); p < 0.001], whereas the in-person presentation had a significantly more positive impact on social responsibility [mean score: 6.5/10 (in-person) vs 5.5/10 (virtual); p < 0.05]. Qualitative insights into these results were gathered from discussions with students in focus groups. The results of this study underscore the unique advantages associated with different presentation formats. From the perspective of the current transitions to online learning, the results suggest that changing project deliverables from an in-person to a virtual format may actually yield net gains in engaged-learning outcomes.

show abstract

Building Scientific Communication Skills through MythBusters Videos and Community Engagement

Cited by 3 publications

References 54 publications

Development of an Infographic Assignment for an Introductory Chemistry Laboratory Curriculum

Development of an Infographic Assignment for an Introductory Chemistry Laboratory Curriculum

The Scientific Method as a Scaffold to Enhance Communication Skills in Chemistry

Virtual versus In-Person Presentation as a Project Deliverable Differentially Impacts Student Engaged-Learning Outcomes in a Chemical Engineering Core Course

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About