The Art of Science Communication

S p e a k i n g o f S c i e n c e . . .

Stephanie Chasteenhttp://sciencegeekgirl.com

Images: Tom Tomorrow, Amy Snyder

Audio: David Kestenbaum & Marvin Marshak: Neutrinos

My points for today

Communication is necessary in today’s careers

We can’t treat our audience like they’re stupid (but we can’t treat them like they’re

scientists either)

The data do not speak for themselves.

My career path

• I’m a generalist

• Social psychology and physics

• Science journalism and education

my blog has a recent post about my non-linear career path

http://blog.sciencegeekgirl.com

We need to communicate with many audiences

• Our students

• Other academics (across disciplines)

• The public

• The media

Image from: shirray-langley.abbozzogallery.com/

the media is powerfulImage by Tomasz Sienicki

Changing view of science communication

public

let’s educate that ignorant public

scientific literacy (1960-1980’s)

media & scientists

the deficit model

“The deficit model assumes that the public are empty vessels waiting to be filled with useful information upon which they will rationally act.”

Nerlich, Koteyko, and Brown, “Theory and language of climate change communication,” Wiley Interdisciplinary reviews, 1, 2010.

science

The current model

public

science & society (present)

we have the attitude problem...we need to know more about our audience

media & scientists

image victorvoigt

How do you get your message across?

What are some techniques that have worked for you when...

★Talking to the public?

★Teaching your students?

Communication tips

3 key

points

build from

familiar

no jargon

keep it simple

know your audience

metaphors, analogy,

examples

make it relevant

tell a story

People have prior knowledge & beliefs

Scaffold understanding

Motivation is important to learning

Don’t exceed cognitive load

Make it relevant / connect to everyday life

Respect learners

These should seem familiar to you as educators...

Don’t be so cerebral

“arouse and fulfill”

find the story

Audio: Christopher Joyce and William Eberhard, A Spider’s WebImage: Luc Viatour, www.lucnix.be

Audio: David Kestenbaum & Tony Leggett: Superconductivity

find the story

Audio: Christopher Joyce and William Eberhard, A Spider’s WebImage: Luc Viatour, www.lucnix.be

Audio: David Kestenbaum & Tony Leggett: Superconductivity

How do you tell your story?

background

supporting details (data)

results & conclusions

scientist model

“the facts speak for themselves”

the deficit model does not work!

journalist model

bottom line

key details (data)

back-ground

What’s your elevator speech?

No more than 3 main points.

What’s your bottom line?

Consider these ideas:

• The facts don’t speak for themselves

• Tell a story (narrative structure)

• Journalists’ inverted pyramid

How might these apply to you? In communication? In classes?

How do these ideas apply to academic work?

• Papers?

• Talks?

* it’s more complicated than that

“The reason you can't walk through a wall is that your atoms and the atoms in the wall interact with each other. They

speak the same language”*

There’s more to life than accuracy

accuracy understandability & interest

perception

expert knowledgewhat makes experts smart?

Expert knowledge is organized around big ideas.

Most people don’t have that framework.

So start with the familiar, and build a map.

ground the explanation in the familiar

start here...walls & people...

and of course, avoid jargon

the tough stuff.neutrinos

and build up to...atoms & electric charge

why should people care?

Image: http://www.scottberkun.com/essays/essay29.htm

Audio: David Kestenbaum & John Morgan: Poincare Conjecture

image from http://www.seniorsworldchronicle.com/2009/08/usa-professors-john-baldwin-68-and.html

there is a time for telling

but not too soon!arouse... and then fulfill!

So, it is important to communicate well.But we don’t just

need to repeat our message louder

1. We need to decide what our messages are.

2. We need to make our messages accessible.

3. We need to motivate... THEN educate

4. This is important - and possible - for all levels of science (and in our classes!)

http://communicatingscience.aaas.org/

http://www.dontbesuchascientist.com/ http://www.ucsusa.org/publications/scientist-media-guide.html

More resources

Learning About Teaching Physics.

AAPT funded audio podcast communicating physics education research (PER) to teachers. (Coming soon = “Creating a Time for Telling”)

http://perusersguide.org/podcasts

Shameless Plug

How does this work? Maybe some scientist can tell

us, using simple language and familiar metaphors?

Yeah, by telling us a concise interesting and entertaining story full of

substance!

Thank you!Notes and presentation will be posted at http://blog.sciencegeekgirl.com

Podcast @ http://perusersguide.org/podcasts