Teaching science communication: courses, curricula, theory and practice

Abstract

Science communication teaching is a growing area in the UK, and a recent conference brought together teachers of existing and proposed courses to share information and experience. Their courses were of several types, from purely media skills courses for working scientists to theoretical and academic courses for undergraduate and postgraduate students in science, science studies and journalism. The conference stressed the value of skills but also of a theoretical background, and delegates welcomed contributions from fields such as the sociology of scientific knowledge and cognitive psychology. The conference established an electronic network, and formed a committee to maintain the group's interest and activities in the development of course materials and curricula.

Policies and practices in supporting scientists' public communication through training

“…The primary objective was to produce 'explainers' to take science to the scattered Australian population, thus professionalisation of disseminators. Some years later, Turney (1994) could distinguish science communication programmes focused on communications skills from those providing 'skills with added theory' or presenting 'the big picture'. The last of these referred to the then-emerging postgraduate programmes denominated as science communication qualifications.…”

Egy új tudománykommunikációs modell szükségességéről. A scixcom-modell

“…E képzések célközönségét alapvetően a posztgraduális/doktori képzésekben résztvevők, illetve a tudományos munkával hivatásként foglalkozók jelentik, ám tudománykommunikációs oktatással találkozhatunk már az egyetemi, graduális rendszerben is (vö. Besley-Tanner 2011, Basken 2009, Turney 1994. A tudománykommunikációval foglalkozó, kifejezetten a doktori képzésben részt vevő hallgatóknak kínált programok megtalálásának a keresőoldalak hatékonysága, illetve az egyetemi honlapok strukturáltsága (vagy éppen strukturálatlansága) szab határt.…”

Universities, science communication and professionalism

“…Assessing universities' science communication programmes from the perspective of professionalisation might more valuably look at the intellectual or theoretical content than at the practical. Already over two decades ago, Turney [1994] distinguished between science communication programmes that focused on skills and those that took in "the big picture". The distinction still applies, though it can be refined to take account of the proliferation and diversification of such programmes in the intervening period.…”