Program Overview

SP1541 - Communication Practices in Popular Science

Description

SP1541 aims to enable students to communicate science to the non-specialist audience in a comprehensible and engaging manner through science popularised discourses. Students are introduced to four models of science communication which shed light on the evolving assumptions made about the roles of and interactions between scientists, policymakers, and the public in society. Drawing upon these models, students critically analyse and evaluate how communication strategies are employed in both written and spoken sources, and apply them. The cornerstone of the course is students demonstrating a deepened appreciation of the audience’s level(s) of knowledge through engagement opportunities with the public.

Objectives

By the end of the course, students should be able to:

1. critically read, synthesise, and analyse features of academic and popular science genres
2. critically analyse and evaluate how science communication strategies help explain scientific concepts and ideas to a non-specialist audience
3. work effectively in a team to identify and explain scientific concepts using science communication strategies
4. communicate scientific concepts and ideas in a comprehensible, coherent and engaging manner to a non-specialist audience in both written and oral forms

Assessment

SP1541 is a 100% Continuous Assessment course.

Prerequisites

Students who are required to read ES1000 Foundation Academic English and/or ES1103 English for Academic Purposes must pass those courses before they are allowed to read this course.

Preclusions

1. Non-CHS students
2. Students who have read and passed FAS1101, ES2531, ES2631, ES2660, UTW1001% and RVX100%
3. Students in SPS (Special Program in Science) who have read and passed SP2271 are precluded from SP1541 and SP1541X
4. Students who have read and passed SP1541X
5. U-town students cannot select SP1541
6. RVRC students cannot select SP1541

Units

Four

Workload

0-3-0-3-0-4