Master, PhD

This course is designed to help advanced science students and professionals communicate science better and more effectively with their fellow peers and the public, state organizations, the press, funders, employers and colleagues in other disciplines.

The course gives a thorough introduction to and training in good science presentation techniques tailored for communication with fellow peers (e.g. conference presentations, master's thesis defense, PhD dissertations etc.), publicizing science (e.g. communicating science to the general public in an verbal and written format) and science as culture and controversy (the importance of science in today¿s society). The curriculum will include current affairs.

Emphasis is placed on experience where the students will actively practice different presentation styles and use peer-to-peer feedback to enhance personal strengths in science presentation and communication (written and oral). Individual and group revision of the presentations and feedback from the instructors are key elements in the development of a science communication consciousness required by science graduates in the 21st century. Practical, short individual assignments will be given to each student.

Key players from the science communications community (professional and academic) will be involved in teaching students and assessing their work. The students will be directly involved in BIOs science outreach, and their work will be used as part of the ongoing development of science communication at the Department.

Knowledge

A student who has completed the course should have solid knowledge of

• the basics of good science communication.
• the fundamentals of storytelling.
• how to improve the textual presentation of a story.

Skills

Upon completion of the course, a student should be able to:

• identify what elements of their personality can be beneficially applied in a science communication setting.
• use the criteria for good communication with different types of media

General competence

A student who has completed the course will:

• be able to give good peer to peer evaluations.
• have a better understanding of how science can impact society beyond the pages of a journal.
• be able to better distinguish scientific from unscientific arguments

have gained experience with how to integrate/apply diverse learning methods (reading, discussions, lectures, videos) in science communication

Workshop format: 8 hours (2x4 hours blocks) per week for 3 weeks (part 1)

Workshop format: 4 hours (in one block) per week for 3 weeks (part 2)

Workshop format: 4 hours (in one block) per week for 3 weeks (part 3)