The Science of Science Communication course aims to teach science students how to effectively communicate across a range of audiences why science matters, how it works, and what the relevance of science is to the way we live our lives. Science communication is the bridge between science and society, and risk communication has the potential to save lives, as students will learn in this course.
Students critically evaluate and analyse information and apply the knowledge gained to three different communication scenarios: Communicating science in risk-laden scenarios public audiences commonly face (such as pandemic, floods, and fire), engaging those audiences through science storytelling, and creating and applying the concepts in science communication to the interface between science and society as a science communicator with the goal of maintaining and increasing public trust in science.
The course is delivered via weekly Moodle e-books and weekly virtual classes, the latter recorded for students who are unable to attend. The class schedule is on the Moodle site for the course. The e-books contain chapters with text, images and short videos that take the student through the concepts in a linked style, each book making a ‘story’ of the overarching concepts.
Assessment is through three interconnected online assignments: A Virtual Field Trip in which students can examine risk; a science in society topic video presentation exploring storytelling techniques; and creating a research centre plan to engage public audiences with the societal impacts of the science research.
Students need 48 Units of Credit to take this science elective course. There is no assumed knowledge of science communication, but students are expected to have sound basic communication skills. Students without those skills are strongly advised to take BEES2680: Introduction to Science Communication first since these skills are assumed in BEES6800.
