1 of 24

Communicating Science:

Helping Students Bring Scientific Information Literacy to the Public

​

Dan Chibnall

STEM Librarian

Drake University

2 of 24

Greetings!

  • Plan for this morning:
    • Background of the course
    • Goals & outcomes
    • Structure
    • Examples
    • Lessons learned
    • Benefits to the students
  • About 30-35 minutes with questions after that

2

3 of 24

3

​

Problem & Needs

​

​

Goals & Outcomes

​

​

​

​

Structure of the Course

​

​

​

Examples, Benefits, & Lessons

​

​

Communicating

Science

4 of 24

STEM @ Drake

​

My Role

​

Need for More Information Literacy

4

5 of 24

The Problem

Science Communication in the News

5

6 of 24

6

7 of 24

Audience

​

Information Consumption

​

Retaining Quality

7

Place your screenshot here

8 of 24

8

Problem & Needs

​

​

Goals & Outcomes

​

​

​

​

Structure of the Course

​

​

​

Examples, Benefits, & Lessons

​

​

Communicating

Science

9 of 24

Areas of Inquiry (AOI)

​

Traditional STEM Work

​

Focus on Particular Communication Areas

​

​

Traditional STEM Work for Students

  • Lab & Field
  • Data Analysis
  • Methods
  • Navigating Resources
  • Lit Reviews

Communicating STEM Research & Work

  • Problems
  • Process
  • Proximity
  • Solutions
  • Benefits
  • Value

9

10 of 24

​

​

Course Outcomes

​

Career Value

​

Public Message

10

Identify valuable sources

​

Implement communication techniques

​

Critique popular and academic sources

​

Design a unique method of effective communication

11 of 24

Info Creation as Process

Focus: relationship between formal science info & popular, informal science info

Authority is Constructed & Contextual

Focus: authority can manifest in unexpected ways

Searching as Strategic Exploration

Focus: exploring the information ecosystem, especially non-traditional forms of info outside of scholarly journals

Framework

​

​

11

12 of 24

12

Problem & Needs

​

​

Goals & Outcomes

​

​

​

​

​

Structure of the Course

​

​

​

Examples, Benefits, & Lessons

​

​

Communicating

Science

13 of 24

Readings

​

Writing Advice

​

Essay Structure

​

Storytelling

​

Science Fiction

​

13

13

14 of 24

Social Media Analysis

​

Blogging

​

Current Events

​

Infographics

​

Presentations & Op-Eds

Assessing Outreach

Writing Formally & Informally

Awareness of Relevant Issues

Clear Imagery & Data

Speaking & Writing on Behalf of Important Ideas

14

15 of 24

Alternative Channels & Media

Social Media

​

Science Fiction

​

Citizen Science

​

​

Science Journalists

​

Podcasts

​

Infographics

​

​

15

16 of 24

Assessment

​

Formal & Informal

Language & Writing

​

Use of Sources

​

​

  • Popular v. Scholarly
  • Links v. Citations
  • Concise v. Expanded
  • Story v. Argument
  • Creative Ways of Integrating
  • Explaining Methods & Replication

16

17 of 24

17

Problem & Needs

​

​

Goals & Outcomes

​

​

​

​

​

Structure of the Course

​

​

​

​

Example, Benefits, & Lessons

​

​

Communicating

Science

18 of 24

Info Creation as Process

Focus: relationship between formal science info & popular, informal science info

Framework:

Assignments,

Activities, &

Engagement

​

Example 1 of 3

18

19 of 24

Stories are powerful, even transformative. Most of us are aware of that power, based either on personal experience or on stories we know from the media and entertainment industries. But we can go beyond intuition and look to the scientific study of stories. Compared with argumentative or evidence-based communication, narratives focus on causal linkages among a sequence of events influenced by the actions of specific characters. They often carry an emotional punch and relate these events in a way that resonates with readers. As a result, narrative has the power to improve comprehension, increase topical interest, influence real-world beliefs, and achieve persuasive outcomes.

​

19

“

20 of 24

Authority is Constructed & Contextual

Focus: authority can manifest in unexpected ways

Framework:

Assignments,

Activities, &

Engagement

​

Example 2 of 3

​

20

21 of 24

Searching as Strategic Exploration

Focus: exploring the information ecosystem, especially non-traditional forms of info outside of scholarly journals

Framework:

Assignments,

Activities, &

Engagement

​

Example 3 of 3

​

21

22 of 24

  • “This class helped me to see how I could talk to my friends in other majors about the science I work on.”
  • “I like how popular sources of science show the interdisciplinary connections between fields, so a geologist can understand how a biologist operates and what they have in common.”
  • “This helped me to think about SciComm early in my labwork instead of after-the-fact. Now I can talk about it more clearly to people as I’m doing it.”

Benefits

Student Comments

22

23 of 24

Lessons Learned - More Group Activities - More 1 on 1 Communication Tests - Deeper into Citizen Science - More Diverse Scientific Topics

23

24 of 24

Thank you for attending & listening!

  • Please contact me with further questions
  • dan.chibnall@drake.edu
  • 515.271.2112
  • @bookowl