Leveraging Skype in the Classroom for Science Communication: A Streaming Science – Scientist Online Approach

Abstract

A growing need exists to identify, implement, and research alternative methods to communicate with, educate, and engage youth about science, in order to increase science literacy and knowledge of future societal decision-makers. Electronic field trips (EFTs) are one channel of non-formal communication and education that have been introduced in agricultural and natural resources to reach youth audiences with science-based information in real-time. EFTs can be conducted in several different ways due to the proliferation of video production and web-streaming technologies. The following professional development article offers science communication professionals and scientists a detailed model and specific steps to develop and host an EFT via the Skype in the Classroom platform. The outlined model builds off of prior application and research from the Streaming Science online science communication platform and offers a secondary model for effective EFT implementation and research. The authors describe the establishment of an online science communication network, the development of the Streaming Science: Scientist Online format, content creation, the production team structure, and mobile production hardware and software. Scientist Online EFT program outcomes in terms of participation are noted, as well as student outcomes in the form of excerpts to demonstrate student engagement are shared.

The science of mosquitoes: Youths’ perceptions, engagement, and learning from a Skype in the classroom science communication program

“…The Science of Mosquitoes EFT program was streamed via Skype in the Classroom and lasted 35-45 minutes (Beattie et al, 2020). This project was a part of a larger grant project funded by the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) to the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Center for Public Issues Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (PIE Center)..…”

Rocks Really Rock: Generating positive impacts in middle and high school students’ attitudes toward geology via Web Google-Earth electronic field trips

“…Digital outreach strategies such as EFTs have shown the potential to extend scientific research and information about science concepts and careers to a range of formal, informal, and non-formal audiences, allowing viewers to visit virtually any locations around the globe (Beattie et al, 2020;Cassady & Kozlowski, 2008;Evelpidou et al, 2021). For example, The Streaming Science Project is an online outreach platform that includes college-student-created EFTs and other multimedia to introduce audiences to STEM topics and experts1F1F.…”

“…The Streaming Science EFT model (Loizzo et al, 2019) connects science-experts with K-12 students by showcasing live webcasts or pre-recorded videos from various science fields. Using this approach, the Streaming Science EFT model has positively impacted students' perceptions and attitudes about scientists, science careers, and science in general (Barry et al, 2022;Beattie et al, 2020;Loizzo et al, 2019). EFTs can follow different technology formats, from partially to fully immersive augmented reality experiences (usually referred to as virtual field trips), to both pre-recorded and live-streaming video broadcasts, and they can be created using different platforms (e.g., ArcGis Stories, desktop and web-Google-Earth, and virtual reality platforms).…”

“…Nevertheless, most of these EFTs have been used as an alternative education in ES majors, but they have not been designed with outreach in K-12 environments in mind. Thus, EFTs have the potential to become a widely used outreach strategy in both informal and formal learning environments, following pre-established models for K-12 outreach through EFTs, such as the Streaming Science model (Beattie et al, 2020;Loizzo et al, 2019).…”

Removing systemic barriers to equity, diversity, and inclusion: Report of the 2019 Plant Science Research Network workshop “Inclusivity in the Plant Sciences”

“…Misperceptions of what careers are possible in plant science are widespread, especially in the era of digital agriculture and more generally, where engineering, social science, data science, plant science and climate science, for example, are tightly interwoven. Other opportunities for career exploration, such as #BlackBotanist on Twitter (Williams et al, 2021) and the “Skype a Scientist” program (Beattie et al, 2020), can connect students directly with scientists through social media and other online programs.…”