Science Communication

Objectives

With this curricular unit it is intended that students:

- Develop skills to better communicate science to non-scientific and scientific audiences;

- Develop skills to increase society''s involvement in science;

- Learn to relate objectives, audiences and activities: be able to evaluate and decide which is the most appropriate format to communicate a result, a scientific idea or a technological innovation, defining its objectives and target audience;

- Acquire basic notions and develop a critical evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages of different typologies, strategies and media;

- Interact with practical components of the promotion of scientific culture;

- Know and discuss several examples of case studies in this field with some focus on the challenges posed in digital societies;

- Learn how to develop science and technology communication initiatives, defining their content and the various stages of production.


General characterization

Code

12754

Credits

3.0

Responsible teacher

Cristina Maria Santos Luis

Hours

Weekly - 3

Total - Available soon

Teaching language

Português

Prerequisites

Available soon

Bibliography

Alda A. (2017) If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face. Random House. 202 pp.
Bucchi M. & Trench B. (2014) Routledge Handbook of Public Communication of Science and Technology. 2nd edition. London and New York: Routledge. 258 p.
Burns et al. (2003) Science Communication: a contemporary definition. Public Understanding of Science 12: 183-202.
Davies S.R. & Horst M. (2016) Science Communication: Culture, Identity and Citizenship. London: Palgrave Macmillan. 266 p.
Gilbert J.K. and Stocklmayer S.M. (2012) Communication and Engagement with Science and Technology. New York: Routledge. 352 pp.
Jamieson K.J., Kahan D. & Scheufele D.A., eds. (2017) The Oxford Hanbook of The Science of Science Communication.  New York, NY: Oxford University Press. 486 p.
Knight D. (2006) Public Understanding of Science. A history of communicating scientific ideas. London: Routledge. Routledge studies in the history of science, technology and medicine. 232 p.

Teaching method

Available soon

Evaluation method

Available soon

Subject matter

1.    What is science communication? Why do we communicate science? Communication of science and technology through time. Forms of science communication and challenges posed in a digital society.
2.    How to plan initiatives to promote scientific culture. What message to convey, what kind of initiative to implement, where and for what target audience.
3.    How to manage anxiety during oral communication, how to structure the speech and tell a story.
4.    Using appropriate language for the target audience, selecting the essential information to transmit, using metaphors and analogies in science communication.
5.     Engagement vs communication. From monologue to dialogue, citizen science and how to increase public participation in science.
6.    Formats of science and technology communication in digital societies.
7.    The power of image. How to convey the message using videos and infographics, how to capture curiosity and transform the message into an image.
8.    The use of games in science communication. Improvisation techniques to improve communication. The use of humour.
9.    Evaluation of science communication activities, from impact assessment to diagnosis and monitoring.

Programs

Programs where the course is taught: