Course Description
The course will examine the topic of science communication, providing an introduction to (i) the role of communication in science, as an important element of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI), (ii) the cultural, practical and policy-related role of science communication in wider society to promote public engagement in discussion and actions, and (iii) the role it can play in supporting sustainable development.
The course will start by exploring the different definitions of science communication and the evolution of the concept from an education approach to a more dialogic one, that brings together scientists, communicators and the public.
The course will also work to respond to the three key questions concerning science communication and the public, in terms of (i) who are the publics to reach, (ii) why to communicate them, (iii) what to communicate and (iv) how to communicate in an effective way. The non-mediated vs. mediated modes of communicating will be considered, putting in evidence barriers and opportunities related to each strand, from journalism to museums, social media and others. Attention will be given to the topic of misinformation and trust in science.
The course will also look at science communication in relation to sustainable development and environmental issues and how it can support the achievement of the SDGs.
A key element considered throughout the course will be the quality in science communication and how to “recognize” it.

Learning Objectives
Students will gain exposure to the great body of scholarship about science communication, including work from communication, sociology and science theories among others. They will also gain a sharper understanding of the challenges of science communication, in particular in relation to environment and sustainable development.
The course will take advantage of VIU’s unique international diversity by building in opportunities for students to share and reflect upon science communication role and trajectories in their own home countries. In addition, great attention will be given to the interdisciplinary approach of Science communication taking advantage of the multidisciplinary components of VIU classes.

Teaching and Evaluation Methods
The course is organised around different thematic areas covered also with the help of external professionals, active in different science communication fields. The course will include frontal lectures, meetings with experts and open discussion on the theories and practice of science communication, case studies on communication of specific scientific topics and practical work on their revisions, both individually and in group. Seminars involving practitioners of different strands (journalists, museum explainers, experts in social media) will be organized. Site visits will be part of the course.
No specific background is required to attend the course. Students will be expected to do the required readings, to attend class regularly and participate in discussions. Required readings will be designated on a weekly basis. Students will be also encouraged to find additional material for their final project by searching the Internet and accessing suggested websites. Individual paper and a group project on science communication will be required.

Readings
There will be a number of articles and readings available on the VIU course eLearning platform, such as:
Altay S. (2022). How Effective Are Interventions Against Misinformation?, Preprint.
Brossard, Dominique, and Dietram A. Scheufele. "Science, new media, and the public." Science 339.6115 (2013): 40-41.
Bucchi M., Trench B. eds. (2021). Routledge Handbook of Public Communication of Science and Technology.
Davies S. R. (2021). An Empirical and Conceptual Note on Science Communication’s Role in Society, Science Communication 2021, Vol. 43(1) 116–133; Newig J., Schulz D., Hetze
Davies S.R, Franks S., Jensen A. M., Mannino I., Schmidt A. L., Wells R., Woods R., Zollo F. (2020). Summary report: European Science Communication today, QUEST Project Deliverable 1.1.
Davies S.R., Horst M. (2016). Science Communication. Culture, Identity and Citizenship, Palgrave Mcmillan, pp. 1-27.
Dawson E. (2018). Reimagining publics and (non) participation: Exploring exclusion from science communication through the experiences of low-income, minority ethnic groups. Public Understanding of Science, Vol. 27(7) 772–786.
Del Vicario M., Bessi A., Zollo F., Petroni F., Scala A., Caldarelli G., Stanley H.E., and Walter Quattrociocchi W. (2016). “The Spreading of Misinformation Online.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 113 (3).
Dunwoody S. (2021). Chapter 2: Science Journalism: Prospects in the digital age. Routledge Handbook of Public Communication of Science and Technology, Bucchi M., Trench B. eds. (2021), Third Edition
FAO (2007). Communication and Sustainable Development. Selected Paper from the 9th UN roundtable on communication for development. https://books.google.it/books?hl=en&lr=&id=iPwAnR_Efa4C&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=science+communication+and+sustainable+development&ots=4s-_Pyit22&sig=J7AoIAmWurSB8nwoE4_j3YkXSq8#v=onepage&q=science%20communication%20and%20sustainable%20development&f=false
Ghulam S., Tanzeela J. (2015). Mass Media, Communication and Globalization with the Perspective of 21st Century. New Media and Mass Communication, Vol.34, 2015.
Greenwood MRC, Riordan DG (2001). Civic scientist/Civic Duty. Science Communication. 2001; 23:28–40.
Haklay M., Dörler D., Heigl F., Manzoni M., Hecker S., Vohland K. (2021). What Is Citizen Science? The Challenges of Definition, in The Science of Citizen Science, Vohland K., Land-Zandstra A., Ceccaroni L., Lemmens R., Perelló J., Ponti M., Samson R., Wagenknecht K. (eds.), chap. 2.
Humm C., Schrögel P., Leßmöllmann A. (2020). Feeling Left Out: Underserved Audiences in Science Communication. Media and Communication, Volume 8, Issue 1, Pages 164–176.
K., Laws N., Lüdecke G., Rieckmann M. (2013). Communication Regarding Sustainability: Conceptual Perspectives and Exploration of Societal Subsystems, Sustainability 2013, 5, 2976-2990; doi:10.3390/su5072976
Mannino I., Fornetti A. et al. (2021). Supporting quality in science communication: insights from the QUEST project, Journal of Science Communication, 2021-05-10, DOI: 10.22323/2.20030207.
Olesk A., Mannino I., Fornetti A. et al. (2021). Quality indicators for science communication: results from a collaborative concept mapping exercise. Journal of Science Communication 2021-05-10, DOI: 10.22323/2.20030206
Pearson G., Pringle S. M., and Thomas J. N. (1997). “Scientists and the Public Understanding of Science.” Public Understanding of Science 6 (3): 279–89.
Rempel E. S., Barnett J., Durrat H. (2018). Public engagement with UK government data science: Propositions from a literature review of public engagement on new technologies. Government Information Quarterly 35 (2018) 569-578
Rodari P., Marzagora, M. 2007. The role of science centres and museums in the dialogue between science and society, in Journal of Science Communication, JCOM 6 (2), June 2007.
Trench B. (2014). Do we know the value of what we are doing? Journal of Science Communication, 13(01).

Last updated: February 29, 2024