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Department of Psychology, Unit Catalogue 2007/08


PS50071 Science & communication I

Credits: 6
Level: Masters
Semester: 1
Assessment: CW 75%, EX 25%
Requisites:
Aims:To equip students with an appreciation of the main debates in the relationship between science and public understanding, and with knowledge of communication theory and methods of analysis.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will understand the theoretical and methodological issues involved in science communication. They will be familiar with the role of language discourse, rhetoric and metaphor in written, visual and virtual media. They will be acquainted with major controversies around science and 'anti-science' and in areas of scientific debate. They will be familiar with issues relating to efforts to increase public understanding of science, and the relationship between science and culture.
Skills:

* Comprehensive and scholarly written communication (e.g. essays) (T/F A)
* Concise, time-bound and effective written communication (e.g. briefings/exams) (T/F A)
* Effective oral communication (e.g. seminar presentations) (T/F A)Ability to select, summarise and synthesise written information from multiple sources. (T/F A)
* Ability to develop rigorous arguments through precise use of concepts and models. (T/F A)
* Ability to synthesise multidisciplinary perspectives on the same problem. (T/F A)
* Ability to select and use appropriate ideas to produce a coherent response to a pre-set question. (T/F A)
* Ability to formulate a research question, then develop and present an original and coherent answer. (T/F A)
* Ability to produce work to agreed specifications and deadlines. (T/F A)
* Ability to work independently, without close supervision or guidance (T/F)
Content:
The 'Two Cultures' debate and its heirs; Public understanding of science: the history of recent agendas; What constitutes 'science'?; Scientific literacy criticised: how to study (measure, analyse) what people understand and don't understand about science and what we can learn from this - examples from understanding the immune system; Science fiction and representations of science; the role of metaphor; Mechanisms of rhetoric; Discourse and narrative; the relationship between politics, activism and science; Epistemic cultures: how knowledge is held and transmitted.