193 W22 Rickert

ENGL 193

Communication in the Sciences Winter 2021

Asynchronous via LEARN

Instructor Information

Instructor: Jenn Rickert

Office Hours: By appointment, via Microsoft Teams or Cisco WebEx Email: jrickert@uwaterloo.ca

Course Description

Science expands our understanding of the world by questioning perceived truths and seeking out new answers. However, to have an impact, the information and insights generated by scientific research must be effectively communicated, whether to publics, policymakers, or other scientists.

In this course you will learn effective written, oral, and visual communication in the sciences. You will have the opportunity to enhance these communication skills through iterative design processes that emphasize attention to your audience and the purpose of your communications. You will work individually and collaboratively, using a variety of genres used in scientific communications, to craft messages for internal and external audiences, including scientists, government stakeholders, affected communities, and broader publics. Overall, this course will enhance your capacity to conduct research and report research findings, communicate ethically, and thereby effect change.

Course Goals and Learning Outcomes

Communication is essential for scientists who communicate in many different ways with many different audiences. In this course we will introduce you to a variety of ways scientists communicate, giving you the basis to begin sharing the importance of science in more tailored, concise and effective messaging.

By the end of the course, you should be able to:

• design, draft, and persuasively deliver scientific communications to expert and non-expert audiences;
• justify decisions about the language, content, and genre used when communicating scientific information;
• practice collaboration and peer review in support of iterative communication design processes, including revision;
• practice research processes to find, assess, document, incorporate, and cite research resources and communicate research findings;
• learn to read critically;
• describe and appraise the purposes and ethical concerns of science communication.

This course is reading intensive, writing intensive, and participation intensive: I expect you to do the readings, show up, and take part.

Required Readings:

• Course readings will be available through LEARN or the UW Library’s database for free, including the primary textbook for the course, as well as other web-based resources as applicable (see LEARN for details)
  • Writing in the Sciences is a free textbook that will be abbreviated as WITS in the schedule
  • Other readings will be listed as “LEARN” and will be detailed within the appropriate weekly content folders
• All readings not listed in the syllabus will be finalized by the Friday prior to the upcoming week

Assignments and Mark Distribution:

The following are the graded components of the course:

Detailed handouts available online describe what is expected of you from each assignment; please read these carefully and refer to them as you complete the assignments.

Each assignment has a series of due dates associated with it: here, we engage in process-based writing, and each stage of the process, being essential, to the production of good writing, counts.

This class is an inclusive space:

The university mandates that I say this: “Note for Students with Disabilities: The AccessAbility Services office (AS), located in Needles Hall, Room 1401, collaborates with all academic departments to arrange appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities without compromising the academic integrity of the curriculum. If you require academic accommodations to lessen the impact of your disability, please register with the AS office at the beginning of each academic term.”

But what is really important is this: I strive to make my classes accessible to whatever student happens to cross the threshold (even if that threshold is currently virtual). Everyone has a right to the full experience of the university education they have earned by admission and/or tuition payment. Night owls, English learners, introverts, rebels, loud-talkers, assault survivors, grieving students, anime fans but only like the subs and not the dubs, injured students, disabled students, people with dial up internet, people who wear sunglasses indoors because it’s, like, too much. If there’s something you need to help you succeed, let me know. If something in this document is

freaking you out, let’s talk. If you’re registered with AccessAbility Services (man, that’s a LOT of

paperwork to fill out!!!!) you can for sure have them send me whatever. Let me help you out here.

Technology Policies:

Email policy: Email is fast, but it is not instant. I will read your emails within 1 business day, and I will respond within 2 business days. I’m trying to limit email and encourage you to do the same in order to better foster work/life balance, especially during COVID where these lines are even more blurred than usual. In the very least I recommend, turn off the notifications and only check it at specific times. We all need boundaries! I do not address major questions of substance (“Can you explain why I got that grade on my paper, because my mom thinks I’m a genius?”) in emails, but will use it to make appointments with you (“Can you meet with me on Wednesday to discuss your feedback on my paper?”) which we can do via Microsoft Teams or Cisco WebEx (both available for free and certified for official use by the university)

Email is a professional communication medium. Be professional in your communications: use your university email as otherwise it’ll probably get stuck in my spam filter. Make sure your address includes your name. Write respectfully.

Device/Technology policy: In short, you need one (though to be fair, you’re probably reading this right now on one). You’ll also need to be able to communicate with your peers for peer review, in- pair group work, and be able to provide an audio/visual component to your poster presentation (pre-recorded, not live).

Mostly though, we talk and write about stuff. With each other. In shared group channels and in

frequent contact. There is almost no lecturing in this course (don’t worry, you won’t have to sit through hours of me droning on in pre-recorded videos about the proper use of a comma), but lots of active-posting exercises, group work, and thinking-out-loud (or at least to a receptive keyboard).

As someone who basically lives on the computer and has for many years, I recommend taking breaks and stretching out your hands, arms, and upper body frequently if you’re spending a lot of time sitting and staring at a screen. If you have the time and want to try it out, there are short sub- 10 minute routines of yoga you can do for free through various sources like Yoga with Adrienne.

Participation and Late Policies:

Participation is vital to your success in this course. If you choose not to engage, you will be missing out on exercises upon which some of your grades will depend. After all, participation is 25% of your course grade! And it’s the easiest grade to get! Just log into LEARN at least once a week and try a little! There are no ‘makeups’ for this work. You get one “freebie” missed participation activity for group work or personal reflection, and any other must be excused or pre-approved.

Participation grades are assessed according to the following criteria: participates fully in group and class discussions; collaborates meaningfully in the production of shared documents and resources for class; shows evidence of having read assigned material; listens (or “reads” as the case may be online) and speaks respectfully to others; works meaningfully during group collaborations; provides thoughtful remarks and feedback when appropriate to peers.

This accounts for:

• 15% Group/Class-work participation (LEARN posts, reading response quizzes, worksheets and general materials engagement, etc.)
• 20% Personal reflections (4x5% each over the course of the term)
• Participation weights adjust in accordance with the add/drop date if you join the class late, don’t worry!

Assignments are due as noted on the assignment sheets and on the LEARN calendar; unless prior arrangements are made late assignments will lose 10% per day late, counting weekends.

Assignments more than three days late will not be accepted without documentation or explanation.

If you think that you will have a conflict around one of the assigned dates please reach out to me ASAP so we can coordinate something. Life happens, just be sure to stay in contact.

Rights and Responsibilities:

Every member of this class—instructor as well as students—has rights and responsibilities to ensure a pleasant and productive experience for all. Here are some more specific expectations for this course:

You will:

• Know the university policies that govern your behaviour
• Participate in all relevant LEARN and group activities
• Prepare weekly with assigned reading and writing completed, and available for use in online engagement
• Participate actively in your own learning, while respecting the rights of others to learn as well: this means active listening/reading as well as active speaking/responding
• Give thoughtful consideration to instructor feedback on written and oral work

I will:

• Adhere to the university policies that govern my behaviour
• Engage weekly via LEARN and ensure all course materials are available for each week of the course by the Friday prior, by 7pm EDT/EST.
• Make myself available for consultation via web conferencing and over email
• Return assignments within 2 weeks of their submission, barring unforeseen circumstances
• Provide helpful and respectful feedback on your work

On academic dishonesty: it is a serious offense to appropriate the intellectual labour of another to yourself. Plagiarism consists of using someone else’s words or ideas without proper attribution. I expect that the work you submit in this course will be the product of your own labour, and that your research sources will be scrupulously documented. If you have any concerns or questions about appropriate practice, you are sincerely encouraged to come discuss this with me—I would really like to help.

On academic dishonesty and intellectual property: be aware that this course contains the intellectual property of the instructor—me. Intellectual property includes items such as:

• Lecture content, spoken and written (and any audio/video recording thereof);
• Lecture handouts, presentations, and other materials prepared for the course (e.g., PowerPoint slides);
• Work protected by copyright (e.g., any work authored by the instructor or TA or used by the instructor or TA with permission of the copyright owner).

Course materials are used to enhance your educational experience. However, sharing this intellectual property without permission is a violation of intellectual property rights. Also, please alert me if you become aware of intellectual property belonging to others (past or present) circulating, particularly online.

Academic Integrity

• In order to maintain a culture of academic integrity, members of the University of Waterloo community are expected to promote honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility. See the UWaterloo Academic Integrity Webpage for more information.

Grievance

• A student who believes that a decision affecting some aspect of his/her university life has been unfair or unreasonable may have grounds for initiating a grievance. Read Policy 70, Student Petitions and Grievances, Section 4. When in doubt please be certain to contact the department’s administrative assistant who will provide further assistance.

Discipline

• A student is expected to know what constitutes academic integrity to avoid committing academic offenses and to take responsibility for his/her actions. A student who is unsure whether an action constitutes an offense, or who needs help in learning how to avoid

offenses (e.g., plagiarism, cheating) or about “rules” for group work/collaboration should seek guidance from the course professor, academic advisor, or the undergraduate associate dean. For information on categories of offenses and types of penalties, students should refer to Policy 71, Student Discipline.

For typical penalties check Guidelines for the Assessment of Penalties.

Appeals

• A decision made or penalty imposed under Policy 70, Student Petitions and Grievances (other than a petition) or Policy 71, Student Discipline may be appealed if there is a ground. A student who believes he/she has a ground for an appeal should refer to Policy 72, Student Appeals.

Mental Health Support

All of us need a support system. The faculty and staff in Arts encourage students to seek out mental health supports if they are needed.

On Campus --

• Counselling Services: counselling.services@uwaterloo.ca / 519-888-4567 Ext 32655
• MATES: one-to-one peer support program offered by Federation of Students (FEDS) and Counselling Services.
• Health Services Emergency service: located across the creek from Student Life Centre

Off Campus, 24/7 --

• Good2Talk: Free confidential help line for post-secondary students. Phone: 1-866-925- 5454
• Grand River Hospital: Emergency care for mental health crisis. Phone: 519-749-433 ext. 6880
• Here 24/7: Mental Health and Crisis Service Team. Phone: 1-844-437-3247
• OK2BME: set of support services for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning teens in Waterloo. Phone: 519-884-0000 extension 213.

Full details can be found online at the Faculty of Arts Website. Download UWaterloo and regional mental health resources. Download the WatSafe app to your phone to quickly access mental health support information.

Schedule Overview:

Full weekly details will be available on LEARN, this schedule is to help you have an overview of the basics (readings, due dates) of what will be on your plate each week. Any changes to due dates will be noted in Announcements and sent out via e-mail.

UNIT 1: WRITING FOR THE SCIENCES

WEEK 1: JANUARY 5 – 7 Welcome to the course!

• READ: Syllabus & familiarize yourself with the LEARN course
  • o Bonus:

Fluoride Exposed. "How Fluoride is the Poster Child of Bad Communication"

• WRITE: Introduce yourself to your peers in our discussion forum under “Introduce Yourself,” include 2 truths and a lie, following my example, and engage with your peers to try to guess each other’s.
• REFLECT & ENGAGE: What do you want to accomplish in this course? What are your preconceptions about science communications? What kind of writer are you? When you think of science what comes to mind?

WEEK 2: JANUARY 10 – 14 Writing about Science: Rhetorical Situations

• READ: WITS Chapter 1; Purugganan and Hewitt, “How to Read a Scientific Article”; Pautasso, M. “Ten Simple Rules for Writing a Literature Review.”
• WRITE: Pose at least 2 questions from the readings in our weekly discussion forum and respond to at least 2 of your peers about theirs. Questions can come from any of the readings. If you are unable to respond to your peers, you can post meaningful links to resources, examples, or other readings to bolster your own commentary.
• REFLECT & ENGAGE: What are the most important things you need to know about reading science articles? How does that help you write them? How can you determine if something is “scientific;” is that different to it being scientifically valid?

Introduce yourself to your Poster Presentation Group (randomly assigned by LEARN). Coordinate upcoming meeting(s) as needed for your upcoming project.

WEEK 3: JANUARY 17 - 21 Summarizing Research, Swales’ CARS Model

• READ: Swales, “’Create a Research Space’ CARS Model of Research Introductions”; Englander, K. Writing and Publishing Papers in English (selections); Your chosen article(s) for Assignment 1 Prep.
• WRITE: Your first reflection response (full instructions on LEARN). Think back on the past two weeks’ reflection prompts, as well as this weeks’, and think critically about what you’ve explored so far.
• REFLECT & ENGAGE: Consider Chapters 1-9 of Englander’s book (don’t worry, you don’t have to read it in detail for this part). What sections were the most meaningful to you? Do you find you have more questions or did your understanding of science writing methodologies change because of her approach?

Consider your upcoming Swales analysis due next week, how are you choosing your article? What kinds of things are you looking for? Are some more “valid” than others to you? What kinds of topics do you find most interesting to explore? Why?

When you’ve chosen your article, let me know via the “Assignment 1 Topic Proposal” Quiz.

WEEK 4: JANUARY 24 - 30 Summarizing Research, Cont’d. Rhetoric & Argument

• READ: WITS Chapter 4; Twitter posts (see LEARN); Corner, A. & Hahn, U.

“Evaluating Science Arguments.”

• WRITE: Pose at least 2 questions from the readings in our weekly discussion forum and respond to at least 2 of your peers about theirs. Questions can come from any of the readings. If you are unable to respond to your peers, you can post meaningful links to resources, examples, or other readings to bolster your own commentary.
• REFLECT & ENGAGE: After engaging with the Twitter threads as laid out on LEARN, go out and find your own examples of good or bad science in social media. It does not have to be Twitter, but it does need to be publicly visible so you can link to it later in your formal reflection.
• DUE: Assignment 1, Swales Introduction Summary (January 30th, 11:55pm EST)

UNIT 2: SCIENCE, OUR AUDIENCES, AND EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

WEEK 5: JANUARY 31 – FEBRUARY 4 Presenting Scientific Research

• READ: WITS Chapter 6; Boxman; Gibbs, K & Walsh, K. “Reversing Canada’s decade of darkness in science policy”; Liboiron, M. “Not all marine fish eat plastics”
• WRITE: Pose at least 2 questions from the readings in our weekly discussion forum and respond to at least 2 of your peers about theirs. Questions can come from any of the readings. If you are unable to respond to your peers, you can post meaningful links to resources, examples, or other readings to bolster your own commentary.
• REFLECT & ENGAGE: Develop a group work plan with your Assignment 2 team in order to ensure that you are on track for the due date of March 13th. You will be required to self-assess your participation in this group work, in relation to your peers, as part of your final grade.

Submit your team’s chosen topic via the “Assignment 2 Topic” Quiz on LEARN.

Poster prep: Hofmann, A. “Posters and Conference Abstracts.”; Dinis A. “Scientific Poster. What is this thing!?”

WEEK 6: FEBRUARY 7 – 11 Audience Analysis & Citizen Science

• READ: Hopper, T. “Why Bill Nye keeps getting bashed for not being a scientist.”; Any

Bill Nye episode, Quirks and Quarks Episode, Magic School Bus, or Equivalent; Irwin,

A. “No PhDs needed: How citizen science is transforming research” ; your article selections for the Poster & Literature Review assignment.

• WRITE: Your second reflection response (full instructions on LEARN). Think back on the past two weeks’ reflection prompts, as well as this weeks’, and think critically about what you’ve explored halfway through the course. What do you want us to cover that we haven’t? What do you wish we could have spent more time on? What have you read of your peers’ work that has caused you to think differently about something?

• REFLECT & ENGAGE: How does the platform change the way scientific content is delivered to an audience? Does the integrity of scientific facts or communications change depending on the audience? What is citizen science? What makes something believable (or not) if presented as scientific?

WEEK 7: FEBRUARY 14 - 18 Writing Techniques & Presentation Skills

• READ: Martinez-Conde, S., & Macknik, S. L. (2017). Opinion: Finding the plot in science storytelling in hopes of enhancing science communication; Wu, K. “Why Can't Scientists Talk Like Regular Humans?” Matthews, J. Successful Science Writing (selections); Nature. "Hues and cry: a blue dress divided the Internet--and put the science of visual perception in the spotlight”
• WRITE: Peer review worksheets & any revisions based on feedback
• REFLECT & ENGAGE: Provide thoughtful peer review for your colleagues. Consider the readings; write out question or thoughts you have on them and choose what is most interesting to you for your personal reflection.

WEEK 8: FEBRUARY 21 – 25: READING WEEK – No class activities.  

WEEK 9: FEBRUARY 28 – MARCH 4 Poster Presentations & Literature Review

• READ: WITS Chapter 5; Watch a scientific talk (like TED, etc.) or listen to a podcast episode lecture that relates to the topic you’re writing your Assignment #2 on.
• WRITE: Post in the weekly discussion thread about the multimedia video/audio clip you listened to with a link; pose thoughtful questions you have as though you were asking in the audience.
• REFLECT & ENGAGE: Finalize poster portion of the project, reflect on process and peers’ work as compared with other forms of scientific communication and representations.

Consider the kinds of questions you may be asked following your presentation, how might you address them? Are there areas you expect to be asked about? Is there something you wish you could have done but didn’t have time for?

• DUE: Poster & Literature Review Progress Report, Plan, & Peer Review results (March 4th, 11:55pm EST) in LEARN in your group’s discussion thread; also included in your final submission.

WEEK 10: MARCH 7 - 11 Reviewing Previous Research

• READ: Explore relevant literature reviews in your chosen subject area and compare to your own; start peer review of your fellow students’ literature review drafts.
• WRITE: Your third reflection response (full instructions on LEARN). Think back on the past weeks’ reflection prompts, as well as this weeks’, and think critically about what you’ve explored through the course to this point.
• REFLECT & ENGAGE: Peer review lit reviews and provide meaningful feedback.
• DUE: Poster & Literature Review by March 13th, 11:55pm. EST on LEARN

UNIT 3: SCIENCE AND ITS IMPLICATIONS

WEEK 11: MARCH 14 - 18 Ethics and Public Understanding in Scientific Research

• READ: WITS Chapter 3; Oreskes, N. & Conway, E. “Defeating the Merchants of

Doubt”; Jones, M. D. & Crow, D. A. “How can we use the ‘science of stories’ to produce persuasive scientific stories?”

• WRITE: Pose at least 2 questions from the readings in our weekly discussion forum and respond to at least 2 of your peers about theirs. Questions can come from any of the readings. If you are unable to respond to your peers, you can post meaningful links to resources, examples, or other readings to bolster your own commentary.
• REFLECT & ENGAGE: Consider the articles you may want to explore for your Public Understanding of Science assignment. What kinds of issues do you find most interesting when exploring the translation of science to the public sphere. It may be useful to explore a number of media articles first before going back to their root research.

When you’ve chosen your topic, let me know via the “Assignment 3 Topic Proposal” Quiz so that I can ensure you’re on the right track!

WEEK 12: MARCH 21 - 25 Communicating with Public Audiences & Ethical Communication

• READ: WITS Chapter 8; Thomas, G., & Durant, J. “Why should we promote the public understanding of science?”; Clark, K. “Myth of the genius solitary scientist is

dangerous”; ALiGN. “Is clickbait killing science journalism? The answer will shock you!”; Read your chosen articles in depth.

• WRITE: Develop your draft for the final assignment in preparation for peer review the following week.
• REFLECT & ENGAGE: Consider ethics and scientific communication, as well as the sharing of information between scientists and communities, particularly with something like the quest for a COVID-19 vaccine? How can conflicting motivations between countries, cultures, etc. affect ethical interactions? How can they help them? What does it mean to be an ethical scientist?

WEEK 13: MARCH 28 – APRIL 1 Final Peer Review & Reflections

• READ: Your peers’ assignments and review the material they’re based on (see

LEARN for details)

• WRITE: Meaningful feedback for your peers’ assignments and your final reflection
• REFLECT & ENGAGE: Look back over the course of the entire term in your final reflection. Did you achieve what you had wanted to? What will you take from this course heading into your future courses, into your future career? Have you learned something in this course that changed a preconceived opinion that you held in September? Have any of your previous reflections changed as a result of your progress through this course? Have they stayed the same?
• DUE: Public Understanding of Science draft by April 2, 11:55pm. EST on LEARN; Return peer feedback of two different reports by April 6, 11:55pm EST via LEARN.