SFOK09116U Science Communication and Interdisciplinarity

Volume 2015/2016
Education
Kandidatuddannelsen i folkesundhedsvidenskab
Content

A prerequisite for being able to work across different disciplinary traditions is that you are able to communicate your own disciplinary point of departure and understand other disciplinary perspectives on the problem field at hand. This means that science communication (in combination with some understanding of theory of science) becomes an essential tool for improving the understanding and possibilities for interdisciplinary research, both within and outside of academia. At the same time, science communication functions as a tool with which to illuminate differences in understanding about what science is, how knowledge is produced, and the self-understanding of the researcher.

The purpose of the course is to contribute to students’ understanding of science communication 1) as an area of research and practice that illuminates the challenges inherent in interdisciplinarity, and 2) as a tool that can be used to better facilitate interdisciplinarity. After the course, students should have acquired a better understanding of the challenges and problematics of interdisciplinarity through working with and studying science communication, and they should have started to build fundamental practical skills in interdisciplinary science communication.

Learning Outcome

After completing the course the student is expected to be able to:

Knowledge

  • Describe recent developments within the field of science communication (research and practice) and reflect upon and discuss the relevance of science communication to both the field of Public Health and, more specifically, to working with and facilitating interdisciplinarity. This includes critical reflections about the differences between science-to-public and cross-disciplinary science communication.
  • Define and explain central challenges and problematics of interdisciplinary research practices, including relevant communication issues.
  • Reflect upon the changes in social and historical context that has made science communication and interdisciplinarity increasingly popular academic topics.

 

Skills

  • Analyse examples of and arguments for science communication and interdisciplinarity, using conceptual frameworks introduced during the course.
  • Evaluate science communication strategies and be able to identify possible obstacles for interdisciplinary collaboration.
  • Communicate and discuss complex issues relating to interdisciplinary research topics as well as to science-in-society in general.

 

Competences

  • Further develop fundamental practical skills in interdisciplinary collaboration and science communication.
  • Take part in and help facilitate interdisciplinary group work as well as peer-to-peer and science-to-public communication.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Class Instruction
  • 20
  • Exam
  • 20
  • Preparation
  • 98
  • Total
  • 138
Credit
5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written assignment
Course paper in Absalon
Aid
All aids allowed
Marking scale
passed/not passed
Censorship form
External censorship
Exam period
Se eksamensplanen
Criteria for exam assesment

Course evaluation is based on a written assignment done during the course, to be edited and handed in in Absalon when the course is finished.

Relating to the course outcome above, the evaluation will assess:

Knowledge

  • Whether the student has gained an understanding of current debates and practices relating to science communication and interdisciplinarity, and can reflect upon and discuss the relevance of science communication to working with and facilitating interdisciplinarity. This includes critical reflections about science communication, and the ability to define and explain central challenges and problematics of interdisciplinary research practices.

 

Skills

  • Furthermore, students are expected to be able to use the conceptual frameworks and discussions introduced during the course on concrete examples of and arguments for (or against) interdisciplinarity and science communication; and
  • To be able to communicate and discuss the complex issues relating to interdisciplinarity and science communication introduced in the course.