Module 012230: Pure & Applied Microbiology

DRAFT – PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE MAY BE CHANGES TO THE CONTENT OF THIS MODULE BEFORE SPRING 2012

TITLE OF MODULE: Communicating Science to the Public

ORGANISER: Dr Adrian Harrison

VERSION: April 2011

TERM TAUGHT: Spring Term 2012

COURSE PREREQUISITES

First year Scientific skills module

COURSE ASSESSMENT

The majority (80%) of the marks for the module will be for the production of materials for and a written description of an outreach activity that the group develops for schools (including a risk assessment for the activity). The remaining 20% of the marks will be allocated by group-assessment (5%), the completion of a VLE diary (including reflection after the activity is delivered (5%) and the production of a press release for the outreach activity (10%).

SUMMARY

This module is designed to help students to develop an understanding of the need for scientists to effectively communicate their research beyond a scientific audience. The course will consist of workshops that will explore the issues surrounding science communication. To put into practice these skills, as groups, students will design an outreach activity suitable for school pupils in the 11-14 year age group. These activities will then be run for school groups as a circus of activities on a designated date in the last week of the spring term.

The aim of this module is to develop students’ understanding of the need for scientists to effectively communicate their subject to non scientists.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Specific learning objectives are:

To improve communication skills

Develop an understanding of the difficulties of communicating scientific concepts to a lay audience.

To be aware of the range of groups that need to be communicated with. To understand why scientists need to communicate their research to a wider audience

To be aware of the different methods and opportunities available to scientist to communicate their science.

To be able to develop and deliver an outreach activity for school age children.

To be aware of the funding streams, organisations involved in and career opportunities for science communicators.

COURSE SYNOPSIS

Lectures/ Workshops

Workshop 1 (3h)- Introductory session discussing the module format, what science communication is, and the activity that students will develop. Allocation of students to groups for activities.

Workshop 2 (3h)- Science and the Media / Production of press release / Development of group outreach activity

Workshop 3 (3h)- Communicating Science to school pupils / Development of group outreach activity

Workshop 4 (3h)- Popular science does it help? / Development of group outreach activity

Workshop 5 (3h) Science outreach politics and policy / Development of group outreach activity

Workshop 6 (3h) Communicating Controversial Science - EG GM/ Stem cells / Development of group outreach activity

Schools Day (4h) Delivery of activities to school pupils.

RECOMMENDED READING

To be notified.

LECTURES AND ORGANISATION

Staff teaching commitments

Teaching sessions

Adrian Harrison – Introductory session. Caroline Calvert – CNAP - Communicating Controversial Science Peter Lillford? – Honorary Professor of Science Communication- Science outreach politics and policy David Garner / Sarah Mitchell?-Communications office- Science and the Media, or possibly James Chong or Gavin Thomas (already does this for Bioenterprise) Jeremy Airey? NSLC - Communicating Science to school pupils Possible group mentors (We will need one per group of students) – all are on the staff list as “Outreach Pool”.

Mentors would be expected to meet with students in each workshop to help plan their activity.

James Chong Dawn Coverley Chris Elliott Gareth Evans Angela Hodge Phil Ineson Frans Maathuis Peter Mayhew Kelly Redeker Richard Waites

Other support Technical support and possibly workshop support will be required. This will be dependent on the activities that the students design. If they are practical then teaching lab resources will be required.

Schools liaison has agreed to recruit schools for the event.

Timetable information

The following constraints on the timetable are imposed by the course structure:

TEACING SESSION CONSTRAINTS Sessions 1-6 should run at weekly intervals. All sessions should run at weekly intervals. A room like M052 will be required. The last session must be no later than week 9 Session 7 Will require space in teaching labs booking to allow all groups space to run their activity. This will probably take both lab 1 and 2.

Safety information

Workshops: A Low Hazard Practical sessions: A Only low hazard practical sessions will be allowed as the activities are for children.

MAXIMUM NUMBERS

The maximum numbers for the course is limited by the number of activities that we can fit into the session for pupils. This is typically 3-4 activities lasting 40-45 minutes. This equates to approximately 20-25 students. One possibility to increase numbers would be to offer schools a choice of the activities on offer (say 3 out of 5) and each student group only run the session 3 times. I would recommend only 5 or 6 students per group.

STUDENT WORKLOAD

Workshops and schools delivery: 22 hours Total Contact: 22hours

Private Study: 28 hours

Total 50 hours