Insights for designing science communication training from formal science education

2019 ◽  
pp. 104-121
Author(s):  
Louise Kuchel
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Communication Training ◽  
Formal Science

scholarly journals Moon, Mars and Mundus: primary school children discover the nature and science of planet Earth from experimentation and extra-terrestrial perspectives

2015 ◽  
Vol 95 (2) ◽  
pp. 203-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.G. Kleinhans ◽  
A.J. Verkade ◽  
T. van Wessel ◽  
M.A.S. Bastings ◽  
W.A. Marra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Planetary Science ◽  
Science Museum ◽  
University Education ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Science Museums ◽  
Asking Questions ◽  
The Right

AbstractLike earth and planetary scientists, most children are curious about the world, the solar system and the rest of the universe. However, for various reasons primary schools emphasise language and calculus rather than natural sciences. When science is taught, examination systems often favour knowledge of the ‘right’ answer over the process of investigation and logical reasoning towards that answer. In order to continue to spark children's curiosity and their motivation to learn and discover, science education hubs at universities and science museums could collaborate more with schools and teachers, and are beginning to do so. The objective of this position paper is to report on recent experiences in earth and planetary science education for pupils in primary and secondary education, to provide examples and inspiration for scientists. We report three examples of initiation and consolidation of science education in primary schools in the Netherlands: (1) a focus on asking questions and seeking information to reason towards the answer, initiated with a classroom game, Expedition Mundus, (2) bringing pupils and teachers together outside their school in the science museum to gain confidence and self-efficacy, and (3) having children ask their own questions and do their own research guided by the empirical cycle, for example on experimentation on sandbox scale models of channels and crater lake deltas as found on Mars. The focus on other planets, fictitious and real, stimulates pupils to ask questions about planet Earth. Finally, we argue that involvement of more scientists in science education would not only benefit primary and secondary schools and future students but also university education and science communication with society.

scholarly journals Reasoning on Controversial Science Issues in Science Education and Science Communication

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 522
Author(s):  
Anna Beniermann ◽  
Laurens Mecklenburg ◽  
Annette Upmeier zu Belzen
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Scientific Data ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Informal Reasoning ◽  
The Public ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Societal Issues ◽  
Category System

The ability to make evidence-based decisions, and hence to reason on questions concerning scientific and societal aspects, is a crucial goal in science education and science communication. However, science denial poses a constant challenge for society and education. Controversial science issues (CSI) encompass scientific knowledge rejected by the public as well as socioscientific issues, i.e., societal issues grounded in science that are frequently applied to science education. Generating evidence-based justifications for claims is central in scientific and informal reasoning. This study aims to describe attitudes and their justifications within the argumentations of a random online sample (N = 398) when reasoning informally on selected CSI. Following a deductive-inductive approach and qualitative content analysis of written open-ended answers, we identified five types of justifications based on a fine-grained category system. The results suggest a topic-specificity of justifications referring to specific scientific data, while justifications appealing to authorities tend to be common across topics. Subjective, and therefore normative, justifications were slightly related to conspiracy ideation and a general rejection of the scientific consensus. The category system could be applied to other CSI topics to help clarify the relation between scientific and informal reasoning in science education and communication.

Science Net

2004 ◽  
pp. 244-261
Author(s):  
Leo Tan Wee Hin ◽  
R. Subramaniam
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Virtual School ◽  
Learning Potential ◽  
Science Center ◽  
Online School ◽  
Formal Science ◽  
University Science ◽  
Communicative Space

A university-science center partnership called Science Net has been functioning as a virtual school for the extension (science) education of the global public in general and the Singapore public in particular. This chapter describes the design, implementation mechanics and learning potential of this online school for non-formal science education, and suggests that it is an innovative experiment to expand the communicative space of learning in society.

Afterword

2019 ◽  
pp. 295-324
Author(s):  
Adrian Bardon
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Fresh Water ◽  
Saltwater Intrusion ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Common Ground ◽  
Water Supplies

In this chapter, the author looks at suggestions about making science communication more effective. Proposals divide roughly into those that focus on information and science education and those that focus on framing issues more effectively. Each type of approach has some promise, but neither education nor messaging has been shown to be able to significantly counteract denialism. This chapter also examines the modest progress shown in local remediation efforts, where coalitions of persons with different views about politics and environmentalism nevertheless find common ground in collaborating on issues of mutual, local interest (such as saltwater intrusion into fresh water supplies).

Assessment by Audiences Shows Little Effect of Science Communication Training

2020 ◽  
pp. 107554702097163
Author(s):  
Margaret A. Rubega ◽  
Kevin R. Burgio ◽  
A. Andrew M. MacDonald ◽  
Anne Oeldorf-Hirsch ◽  
Robert S. Capers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Science Communication ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Communication Training ◽  
Communication Course ◽  
Good Communication ◽  
Public Science ◽  
The Public ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Science Community

As the science community has recognized the vital role of communicating to the public, science communication training has proliferated. The development of rigorous, comparable approaches to assessment of training has not kept pace. We conducted a fully controlled experiment using a semester-long science communication course, and audience assessment of communicator performance. Evaluators scored the communication competence of trainees and their matched, untrained controls, before and after training. Bayesian analysis of the data showed very small gains in communication skills of trainees, and no difference from untrained controls. High variance in scores suggests little agreement on what constitutes “good” communication.

A Case Study of Indonesian Journalists’ Participation in a Cochran Fellowship Program focused on Biotechnology and Journalism

2017 ◽  
pp. 52-66
Author(s):  
Holli R. Leggette ◽  
Samuel Thomas Hall ◽  
Theresa Pesl Murphrey
Keyword(s):  
Science Communication ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Communication Training ◽  
Comfort Level ◽  
Fellowship Program ◽  
Science Journalism ◽  
News Organizations ◽  
Building Activities

This case study describes the participation of Indonesian journalists in a two-week Cochran Fellowship Program designed to teach about biotechnology and the process of disseminating scientific information. The purpose of this case study was to examine the experience of Indonesian journalists who participated in science communication training in an effort to document practices that improve journalistic writing skills and encourage positive perceptions of biotechnology. Therefore, we collected pre- and post-training reflections, photo reflections, and project debriefing session reflections from six Indonesian journalists who specialized in various types of journalism and worked for private or government-owned news organizations. The reflections revealed changes in comfort level with journalistic writing, thoughts and behaviors, and understanding of the biotechnology process. The journalists showed the most change in comfort level for explaining communication tools; using, evaluating, and choosing communication mediums; and translating science related to biotechnology. They described biotechnology as a highly debated, multi-step process affecting food security and noted that they gained valuable information about science journalism and biotechnology. Training journalists and understanding their voices could enable agriculturalists to more effectively communicate about scientific issues and develop impactful capacity-building activities. Because journalists have the power to inform and influence, programs, like this one, can have far-reaching, beneficial impacts on the adoption of biotechnology. However, researchers should investigate future programs using a longitudinal study to determine if programs influence the stories published in the years following the training

scholarly journals Rosa Navarro-Haydon: Struggling for Locally Relevant Science Education in Puerto Rico. 1926-1966

2019 ◽  
pp. 31
Author(s):  
Wilson Javier Gonzalez-Espada
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Puerto Rico ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Eminent Scholar ◽  
History Of ◽  
Magazine Articles ◽  
Writing Science ◽  
Science Magazine

Rosa Navarro-Haydon played a fundamental role during a critical turning point in the history of science education in Puerto Rico. This eminent scholar developed and implemented elementary-level science curricula for public schools, wrote and published science booklets, articles and textbooks and trained thousands of science teachers. Rosa Navarro-Haydon was one of the first scholars to engage in science communication activities in Puerto Rico, such as writing science magazine articles for the general public. Unfortunately, education and scientific communities are unaware of the countless professional contributions made by Rosa Navarro-Haydon and her life as a science educator pioneer in Puerto Rico.

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