| Course ID: | ECOL 3440. 3 hours. |
| Course Title: | Science Communication for Ecologists |
Course
Description: | An introduction to the field and careers of science
communication, with an emphasis on ecological/environmental
issues and narratives. As global change takes center stage as the
defining concern of our time, telling the story of science is
arguably as important as the research itself. |
| Oasis Title: | Science Communication for Ecol |
| Duplicate Credit: | Not open to students with credit in ECOL 3440E |
| Prerequisite: | ENGL 1102 or ENGL 1102E or ENGL 1103 or ENGL 1050H or ENGL 1060H |
| Corequisite: | [(BIOL 1104 or BIOL 1104H) and BIOL 1104L] or (BIOL 1108 and BIOL 1108L) or (BIOL 2108H and BIOL 2108L) |
Semester Course
Offered: | Offered spring semester every year. |
| Grading System: | A-F (Traditional) |
|
| Course Objectives: | Students enrolled in this course will be able to:
1. Identify the thematic and conceptual issues in communicating
science through surveying important literature and examining key
issues around communicating science.
2. Interpret how to “read” media critically across print, visual,
and digital contexts. Students will learn about the rules and
conventions that underlie communication texts—including books,
films, documentaries, and new media, with a focus on blogs and
photographs.
3. Apply principles of media literacy to science communication
through various media texts focused on ecological and
environmental issues.
4. Design and evaluate communications on ecological and
environmental issues using the basic rules and principles of
science communication—this includes writing (e.g., blogs,
articles) and visual communication (e.g., “smartphone
storytelling”).
5. Develop skills to act as translators between the scientific
community and the public at large. |
| Topical Outline: | Thematic and conceptual issues in communicating ecological
science
Survey of foundational literature
What is great science writing in ecology?
Key issues in communicating ecological issues to diverse
audiences
Survey current media landscape around ecology
Examine various media texts focused on ecological and
environmental issues
Audio interviews and report writing
Visual communication through photography and videos
Finding ways to translate ecology in a politicized environment
Writing on an ecological issue
Writing based on an interview
The art of pitching
Environmental Ethics
Storytelling: the geometry of an ecological narrative |