Core Skills for Effective Science Communication: A Teaching Resource for Undergraduate Science Education

Mercer-Mapstone, L; Kuchel, L

Core Skills for Effective Science Communication: A Teaching Resource for Undergraduate Science Education

Mercer-Mapstone, L

Kuchel, L

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Publisher:: Informa UK Limited
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: International Journal of Science Education, Part B: Communication and Public Engagement, 2017, 7, (2), pp. 181-201
Issue Date:: 2017-04-03

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Mercer-Mapstone, L https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7441-6568
dc.contributor.author	Kuchel, L
dc.date.accessioned	2022-10-25T02:53:15Z
dc.date.available	2022-10-25T02:53:15Z
dc.date.issued	2017-04-03
dc.identifier.citation	International Journal of Science Education, Part B: Communication and Public Engagement, 2017, 7, (2), pp. 181-201
dc.identifier.issn	2154-8455
dc.identifier.issn	2154-8463
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/162671
dc.description.abstract	Science communication is a diverse and transdisciplinary field and is taught most effectively when the skills involved are tailored to specific educational contexts. Few academic resources exist to guide the teaching of communication with non-scientific audiences for an undergraduate science context. This mixed methods study aimed to explore what skills for the effective communication of science with non-scientific audiences should be taught within the Australian Bachelor of Science. This was done to provide a basis from which to establish a teaching resource for undergraduate curriculum development. First, an extensive critique of academic literature was completed to distil the communication ‘skills’ or ‘elements’ commonly cited as being central to the effective communication of science from across the fields of science, communication, education, and science communication. A list of ‘key elements’ or ‘core skills’ was hence produced and systematically critiqued, edited, and validated by experts in the above four fields using a version of the Delphi method. Each of the skills identified was considered by experts to be mostly, highly, or absolutely essential, and the resource as a whole was validated as ‘Extremely applicable’, within the context of teaching undergraduate science students to communicate with non-scientific audiences. The result of this study is an evidence-based teaching resource: ‘12 Core skills for effective science communication’, which is reflective of current theory and practice. This resource may be used in teaching or as a guide to the development of communication skills for undergraduate science students in Australia and elsewhere.
dc.language	en
dc.publisher	Informa UK Limited
dc.relation.ispartof	International Journal of Science Education, Part B: Communication and Public Engagement
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1080/21548455.2015.1113573
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subject	1301 Education Systems, 1303 Specialist Studies in Education, 1399 Other Education
dc.title	Core Skills for Effective Science Communication: A Teaching Resource for Undergraduate Science Education
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	7
utslib.for	1301 Education Systems
utslib.for	1303 Specialist Studies in Education
utslib.for	1399 Other Education
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Provost
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
dc.date.updated	2022-10-25T02:53:13Z
pubs.issue	2
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	7
utslib.citation.issue	2

Abstract:

Science communication is a diverse and transdisciplinary field and is taught most effectively when the skills involved are tailored to specific educational contexts. Few academic resources exist to guide the teaching of communication with non-scientific audiences for an undergraduate science context. This mixed methods study aimed to explore what skills for the effective communication of science with non-scientific audiences should be taught within the Australian Bachelor of Science. This was done to provide a basis from which to establish a teaching resource for undergraduate curriculum development. First, an extensive critique of academic literature was completed to distil the communication ‘skills’ or ‘elements’ commonly cited as being central to the effective communication of science from across the fields of science, communication, education, and science communication. A list of ‘key elements’ or ‘core skills’ was hence produced and systematically critiqued, edited, and validated by experts in the above four fields using a version of the Delphi method. Each of the skills identified was considered by experts to be mostly, highly, or absolutely essential, and the resource as a whole was validated as ‘Extremely applicable’, within the context of teaching undergraduate science students to communicate with non-scientific audiences. The result of this study is an evidence-based teaching resource: ‘12 Core skills for effective science communication’, which is reflective of current theory and practice. This resource may be used in teaching or as a guide to the development of communication skills for undergraduate science students in Australia and elsewhere.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/162671