Module Identifier | ED33020 | ||||||||||||||
Module Title | COMMUNICATING SCIENCE: THE SCIENTISTS, THE MEDIA AND THE PUBLIC | ||||||||||||||
Academic Year | 2005/2006 | ||||||||||||||
Co-ordinator | Dr Jan Martin | ||||||||||||||
Semester | Semester 2 | ||||||||||||||
Other staff | Mrs Ffion M Hoare, Dr Malcolm Thomas | ||||||||||||||
Course delivery | Lecture | ||||||||||||||
Seminars / Tutorials | |||||||||||||||
Practical | |||||||||||||||
Assessment |
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Communicating science to a lay audience can be a challenging activity. In the past scientists have encountered problems with presenting their research to a wider audience - think of the fiasco with cold fusion. In this module, we address some of the basic issues associated with presenting science to the public and consider the value of a range of media - the press, broadcast media, popular science writing, science fiction, museums and discovery centres. In addition, participants develop their own writtten, oral and visual communication skills through a series of workshops, culminating in a public exhibition of posters produced during the module.
The module will cover the following topics:
- Why do scientists wish to communicate with the public? Where and how do they engage in such
communication?
- The difference between academic scientific writing and coverage in the popular press.
- Science museums and discovery centres, including a field trip.
- Popular science writing: New Scientist; Nature and popular science books.
- Science fiction as a way of communicating science.
- Presentation of science to the public: open exhibition of student posters produced during the course.
This module is at CQFW Level 6