What happens to our science communication graduates? The Sequel Part 2

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In our last blog post we updated you on our 2023 Infographic data gathered from 55% (n=165) of graduates who completed the MSc Science Communication programme between 2003 and 2022. We also contacted a number of graduates requesting their participation in a case study. In this second blog post we capture some further points from these case studies.

One potential career area that’s often popular with students starting our programmes is the media, and we’ve met more than one budding ‘Sir David Attenborough’ over the years, but working in the media can take a variety of forms and 13% of our graduates now work in this field. One student who’s found their niche in the media is Dylan Casella, who is currently Head of Acquisitions and Co-Productions at Off the Fence, a factual production and distribution company in the TV and film industry. Dylan graduated from the MSc just over five years ago.

Dylan described his job role to us:

What that really means in simple terms is I find documentary series, specials and one offs for my company to take to the international market and help producers reach wider audiences with their stories. Whilst this can cover any factual genre or topic, our calling card is Natural History, Science and environmentally focused docs. As part of my role I also provide executive producer support for many of our producers to help add the finishing touches to their documentaries.

Sounds like a dream job doesn’t it? For Dylan, one of the MSc modules had been particularly important to his future career:

The Science on Air and On Screen module was a really fun and interesting exploration of storytelling through radio and film production. Moving into science and factual TV and radio production was my goal after the course, and that module provided the skills and the springboard for me to make the move into the industry.

But Dylan also emphasised that the programme offers a lot of versatility for future careers, both in and beyond the media:

The skills on this course are highly relevant and extremely valuable. They’re specialist skills, but they’re also highly transferable, learning how to effectively (and creatively) communicate complex information in accessible forms for wide audiences is an invaluable skill to have in many walks of life. Having the depth of understanding this course provides gives you the perfect foundation to start a career in science communication.

A further graduate, who is now spending a bit more time in front of the camera, is Sophie Pavelle who graduated in 2018. Sophie is employed part-time by the conservation NGO, Beaver Trust, as a Communications Coordinator, which she also balances with freelance science communication commissions, especially writing for newspapers, magazines and book publishers about British nature, conservation, and climate change. In 2022 her first book Forget Me Not was published. For Sophie, the MSc programme had played an important part in exploring her career options and was the key benefit she described when we asked her what she’d appreciated about studying at UWE Bristol:

Being encouraged to find my own path in science communication, and discover skillsets and passions I previously wasn’t aware of, at an institution close to home that had brilliant facilities, and accessible transport links, has been invaluable in developing my career.

Sophie also enjoyed ‘meeting an amazing, diverse and talented group of people, the intimacy and creativity of the teaching environment, helped by small classes and valuable contact time with the lecturers and staff’.

Dylan and Sophie both studied with us full-time but part-time study is also a very popular way to undertake our programme and for a quarter of our graduates this was how they had studied with us, often already working in associated fields or alongside caring responsibilities. Michael Ormond is one graduate who was already working in the medical technology sector, and is now based at a company called Stryker. He works within the Joint Replacement Division, which focuses on implants for orthopaedic surgery such as hip replacements and knee replacements in his role as a Science Communication Manager.

Michael already had a lot of experience before starting the course, describing his role as sitting between the research team (which is his background) and the marketing team. For Michael the programme offered something extra:

The MSc in Science Communication widened my understanding of the process of science communication. Since completing it I have developed a few maxims which I apply daily; Start with your audience is an example! It was great to hear from other sectors about the challenges they face; this has helped me think more holistically about how I do my job. It has also helped me recognise the science communication is all around us and not just on the tv or on YouTube! Once you develop an eye for it you see it everywhere.

As a part-time student UWE had held a particular appeal for Michael: ‘For me, the main benefit of the UWE MSc was the format. I have worked full time whilst studying and was able to take only a few days of each month to come and do the course’. The location and team at UWE also appealed: ‘the staff were all very knowledgeable and being in a creative place with access to established science communication businesses such as Films at 59 added something unique.’


Photo credit: The Rosalind Franklin Institute

With the MSc at UWE Bristol now running for two decades we’ve also been able to witness our graduates career progression, and 41% (n=68) of graduates now work in senior, strategic or managerial roles. Laura Holland who graduated from the programme around 10 years ago is now Director of Strategic Marketing and interim Chief Operating Officer at the Rosalind Franklin Institute, a government funded research institute in Oxfordshire. For Laura the combination of practice and theory had been key in the programme and something she has continued to apply in her working life:

There is a rich and deep academic grounding in science communication which can’t (shouldn’t) be separated from practice. Knowing why the field works helps you perform science communication more effectively. I still seek out science communication literature now when I’m stuck with practical problems – it offers a different perspective and paths to explore.

Whilst Jo Silva, who also graduated some time ago is now Head of Communications for a medical department of the University of Oxford. For Jo, the connection of the programme to her career had been integral from the outset of her career as she explained with one example of a benefit she’d felt from studying with us:

A straightforward [benefit] was that I got my first job through my supervisor, before I’d even finished my MSc. That was neat! Many years later and looking back, what I realise is that the course prepared me incredibly well for the real world of work in science communication. It was very practical and relevant and I still use things I’ve learned then day-to-day.

We were delighted to catch up with our graduates in developing these case studies and the infographic. We are extremely proud of the contributions they are now making to science communication internationally, as well as the opportunities they have pursued in other career areas, the friendships they’ve formed and the stories they still have to tell. As we celebrate our 20th Anniversary in 2024, we’d like to say thank you to those who shared their experiences with us, as well as to all graduates of our science communication programmes at UWE Bristol. We can see you have learnt a lot, and we have also learnt from you.

Professor Clare Wilkinson, Science Communication Unit Co-Director & Dr Amanda Webber, MSc Science Communication Programme Leader.

What happens to our science communication graduates? The Sequel Part 1

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In 2016 we published an infographic that explored the career paths of our students after they completed their MSc. In 2024 we will be celebrating 20 years of our MSc science communication at UWE Bristol and we thought it would be timely to catch up with our graduates’ careers now and we’re even more impressed. You can view our updated infographic below.

To gather the data for the infographic we took a couple of routes.

Just over 300 students have graduated from our UWE science communication postgraduate programmes since 2003 and whilst we aren’t in contact with all of them, a significant number have kept in touch with us via a dedicated LinkedIn group that we use to share news and job opportunities. Following ethics approval from UWE Bristol (HAS.23.03.088) we drew together information on our graduates if they were a member of that group and included their postgraduate programme amongst their public LinkedIn profile. We also offered an opt out period for graduates who would prefer not to be included in the infographic. This resulted in data from 55% (n=165) of graduates who completed the programme between 2003 and 2022.

We also contacted a number of graduates requesting their participation in a case study. Here, and in a second blog post which we will be sharing soon, we capture some of the key points from the infographic and case studies.

77% (n=128) of our graduates now work in science communication directly and one clear example of this is Dr Amy Seakins, who after also completing a PhD, is now Deputy Head of Public Engagement at Imperial College London. Amy supports staff and students to engage the public with their research and work – her team runs training sessions, seed funding, awards, and networks all about engaging with public audiences. Amy is also,

‘passionate about evaluation, a lot of my work involves looking at the impact of public engagement and understanding the benefits for everyone involved’.

For Amy, some of the key aspects of her current role were underpinned by the teaching she experienced at UWE. When we asked her about a ‘take away’ from the programme she said:

‘I was amazed at the breadth of different roles in the science communication sector – the course really opened my eyes to the variety in the field. On a more academic note, understanding why two-way dialogue is so important over a ‘deficit model’ way of thinking has underpinned everything I have done since.’

Amy also highlighted that she’d most enjoyed one aspect of the programme:

‘The people. (That’s probably not a surprise from someone who works in engagement!) The staff are brilliant and so generous with their expertise. The fellow students and their varied backgrounds and interests – you really get to know your cohort and develop a great mini network for beyond the course. Plus the guest speakers and others you meet along the way.’ 

19% of our graduates now work in fields related to science communication, like science teaching, for the NHS, as civil servants or in the (non-science charity sector) but sometimes the boundaries between science communication and other types of roles can be quite blurred. One interesting example here is Andy Robinson-Noades. Andy graduated from our programme nearly 10 years ago, and now works as a Senior Concept Manager at LEGO Education in Denmark. Within this role, Andy is working on the development of FIRST LEGO League, an international STEM learning program for 4–16-year-olds that is delivered in over 110 countries. Andy said his tip for future students looking to develop a career in science communication would be to try things out:

‘The best tip would be to try out every opportunity you can, even if you don’t think it will be for you. These experiences will introduce you to new people, perceptions and techniques that you may not have been aware of but will, in my experience, pave the direction to your career.’

Andy also related this to aspects that he enjoyed in the MSc programme, saying

‘it was the perfect blend of theory and practical. We had the opportunity to learn the core of the subject, giving us the foundations to go and apply it into our own initiatives.’

Our graduates work in a breadth of fields from universities and research institutes, to industry, science communication associations and funders, with some graduates also developing freelance careers. 17% of graduates that are working directly in science communication are now working in charity-based settings, and one example here was Sarah Venugopal, who is now Head of Impact at Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity (GOSH Charity). Sarah leads the team that evaluates the impact of projects that GOSH Charity has funded and helps to communicate that impact to the public. We asked Sarah for a tip for future science communicators, and she highlighted that flexibility has helped her:

‘Be open to lots of opportunities for science communication, even if it feels like a non-traditional route or form. After the course, I joined a graduate scheme in market research and learned a lot about qualitative research methods. I did a more “traditional” science communication role after this, and found I did more science communication on my graduate scheme than I thought! This set me up well for my future science communication roles.’

For Sarah, exploring opportunities was something that had started during her time in Bristol:

‘Bristol is a wonderful city – big enough for there to be lots to do and yet still maintain a community feeling.  Studying in Bristol provided me with great opportunities to gain experience in Science Communication alongside the course – I was able to volunteer at @Bristol (now called We The Curious) in my free time. There are lots of science communications opportunities in and around Bristol: my first paid job in science communication after the course was an evaluation of a student film festival in Exeter.’

Bristol is a very active city for science communication, and 28% (n=47) of our graduates have stayed based in the city after their studies but we also have a large network of graduates around the globe. Dr Wilasinee Triyarat who completed her MSc and PhD at UWE is one example, as she is now the Director of Research and Academic Services Division at the National Center for Public Awareness of Science, National Science Museum, Thailand. In this role she has developed a science communication curriculum for university students to recognise the importance of science communication and the role of science communicators, and she is currently working on research to promote good health for older people through museums to support Thailand’s transition to an aging society. Wilasinee also enjoyed her time in Bristol:

‘Sharing ideas and experiences between classmates was an important part of the MSc that allowed me to explore new ideas. In addition, I made new friends from different backgrounds. We are still in contact and support each other’s science communication careers. The benefit of learning with experts from various backgrounds was my most enjoyable moment. It gave me new perspectives and ideas that have supported my career.’

International students are an important part of our programme, and we’ve been delighted to welcome many over the years, who have shared with us examples, stories and insights from their own societies and cultures. We also welcome students to our programme from an array of disciplinary backgrounds, and this means that a number of our graduates are now involved in communication roles that communicate a wide range of different types of research. Paloma Salgado Tonga, has also returned to a museum setting but is now Director of Experience Design at the Interactive Museum of Economics in Mexico. There she leads the research, content development, graphic and museographic design teams to develop permanent and temporary exhibitions for the museum, both in the national and international arena. Paloma’s top take away from the programme had been that the ‘tools you need and develop for a creative and innovative science communication can come from unexpected places and be applied in many different fields’. This also formed the basis of the advice she would provide for future students looking to develop their careers:

‘Search for new projects, in different disciplines (design museums, tv, podcasts, pop ups, art museums, etc.) and experiment using their mechanisms, tools, and ways to innovate in science communication. The way we communicate and open conversations with other people changes very quickly and is a complex human endeavour. Dare to experiment, dare to use art, design, different spaces, literature, poetry, anything that helps you build a bond between science and the public. Neutrality is overrated. Dare to be creative.’

In the next instalment of these blog posts, which will be published next week, we’ll be looking at some of the other career areas our students are now working in, the different ways you can combine study and working, and how our students progressed to more strategic areas of their careers.

Professor Clare Wilkinson, Science Communication Unit Co-Director & Dr Amanda Webber, MSc Science Communication Programme Leader.


The Importance of Being Interested

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Robin Ince is now renowned as “the science guy” of comedy. From The Infinite Monkey Cage on BBC Radio 4, to his huge cabaret-style shows with Professor Brian Cox and a whole host of scientists and comedians performing at venues as big as the Royal Albert Hall. With all this, he is possibly one of the biggest names in science communication in the UK and has recently written a book, The Importance of Being Interested, where he explains his long journey from being a child bored by science, to a comedian whose interest in science has grown to be career-defining.

The first time I saw Robin Ince was back in 2008 in a dark basement venue below a cinema in York where I regularly attended comedy gigs as an undergrad. At that point, his shows didn’t have the primary theme of science, but there was interesting bits of evolutionary theory peppered in to his set which I’d never heard in a comedy set before. I was a linguistics student myself, and a stand-up comedy nerd who had long ago decided, despite being quite good at it, that my love of science was very much secondary to my love for language. But something about Robin’s interest and enthusiasm got to me, and among his shows and a host of public engagement events around the 200th Anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin, I started to wonder if I hadn’t made a terrible mistake in rejecting a future in science.

I distinctly remember at this time lamenting to my personal tutor in the linguistics department that I was struggling with feeling like I should have gone in to evolutionary biology. I remember her considering this before asking me if I knew evolutionary linguistics was, in fact, a thing. The study of how humans evolved to communicate using language. I didn’t, but as soon as I was aware I was hooked and ended up doing my master’s degree in language evolution and ultimately a PhD on the topic. In that moment, I found my “thing”, and I can’t imagine my life without it now. In many ways, I think I only made the choices I did because of Robin Ince raising evolutionary topics into my consciousness at a time when it wasn’t too late. In science communication, we often talk about the objective of raising the “science capital” of children to try and get people to feel like science is “for me” at an age where it can still affect their subject and career choices. I feel like Robin Ince pushed me into that space at the very last second when it could have still affected my career. And now, here I am, a lecturer in science communication who researches, among other things, science comedy.

Recently, I had the pleasure to interview Robin Ince to mark the publication of his new book. In the interview, we discuss in depth the role of science fiction in engagement with science, the role of comedy and cabaret in the communication of science, and attitudes towards offense in both science and comedy. You can listen here:

By Dr Hannah Little, Senior Lecturer in Science Communication at UWE Bristol.

The Academy Zone: Reflective Online Science Communication Training

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This blog post is part of an exhibit for Engage Conference 2021.

“I’m a Scientist, get me out of here” is an online communication activity where school students interact with scientists. Classes of students ask scientists about their work and lives in a live, text-based, fast-paced chatroom, as well as on a question-answer platform which allows for more considered interactions.

Over the 10 years it has run, scientists have often reported that their communication skills have improved through participation in I’m a Scientist. However, this experiential training has never been formalised, and the scientists aren’t always aware of what they are learning. As such, in 2019 a short communication course was designed to run alongside the I’m a Scientist event.

This course comprised of resources, such as short videos and articles, and questions designed to help the scientists reflect on their learning from participation. They were also invited to participate in daily live text-based chats with a science communication expert to help them reflect on their learning, make connections and receive advice.

We evaluated the course using the responses scientists provided throughout the course to analyse their reflections and understanding. Data from 11 scientists, who gave their consent to have their responses analyzed and presented in this work, showed reflections around the themes of raising science capital, providing an inclusive environment for all students to ask questions and engage, and also an inclusive environment for the scientists participating too.

Scientists felt that the I’m a Scientist format worked to help the students lead the conversation to be about what interests them, and also to see the scientists as humans with lives and interests outside of science. This linked nicely to resources about science capital, as linking science to your interests or seeing scientists as sharing your interests can help students see that science could be for them (Archer et al., 2015):

“I like that we are not expected to tell the students about science and being scientists – sometimes it could seem like we are talking at them rather than them being able to find out what they really want to know. In this case, they are asking what they want to know, which probably isn’t what I would have talked to them about if I were to lead the conversation. That has been really eye-opening! “

“Often, in other outreach activities I have done previously, they would still emphasise your role as scientific expert, but not as human being with interests, hobbies, doubts and dreams.”

Scientists felt that the text-based, anonymous format worked to create an equal playing field between the scientists and students, and also among students, giving them the ability to all have their questions answered and preventing barriers for students who may be shy or anxious about asking something:

“Loud students don’t dominate our attention, and quieter, shier students can get their question across as equally as anyone else. Also, with anonymised names in the live chat, I don’t spot patterns of the same people talking to me all the time –  the pseudonyms aren’t memorable.”

“I think the text-only format helps in various ways. From the student perspective, it means that participants who might be shy or anxious about speaking in public have an opportunity to ask a question without having to actually vocalise. Students can prepare in advance exactly what they want to write, and the anonymous nature of the interactions frees students to ask anything they like without fear of embarrassing themselves. It also gives students a chance to digest the scientists’ answers at their own pace, and go back over things if they want to. From my perspective, it means that all the questions “look the same”: I won’t end up devoting all my attention to the loudest or most persistent voices in the room.”

There was also evidence that the text-only format made the chats feel more inclusive for the scientists too:

“I think the anonymity of the live chats helps immensely. It allows students to ask whatever they’d like, be it science or not, whilst removing the fear of asking a silly question in front of their classmates or even to you directly. I think being behind a screen/giving text answers works well for the scientists too! Just having a profile photo and not video chat removes a lot of visual biases – I’d be rich if I had a pound for every time someone has told me I don’t ‘look’ like a scientist! But with just the profiles, you ARE a scientist, and everyone was asked questions equally.”

By Dr Hannah Little, Senior Lecturer in Science Communication at UWE Bristol.

References:

Archer, L., Dawson, E., DeWitt, J., Seakins, A., & Wong, B. (2015). “Science capital”: A conceptual, methodological, and empirical argument for extending bourdieusian notions of capital beyond the arts. Journal of research in science teaching52(7), 922-948.

Writing Science – Student Magazine Work 2021

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Students on the Writing Science module in the 20/21 academic year came up with some impressive online science magazines. Their brief was to develop a science magazine from scratch and they were left to develop the concept and choose who the audience would be themselves.

Claudia Stocker, Morwenna Bugg, Jessica Howard and Alex Johanson-Brown decided to turn their mutual interest in coffee into a fully caffeinated science magazine. Grounds for Thought is aimed at readers who work in the coffee industry and keeps them up to date with the science related to coffee, the coffee industry and coffee shops:

Ben Holder, Anna Shah, Ed Carter and Chloe Raikes developed Go Low, an online magazine student travel magazine that aims to promote sustainable travel by giving useful information about how to reduce the environmental impacts of travelling:

Science on Air and on Screen – Student Videos 2021

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Students on the Science on Air and on Screen module in the 20/21 academic year had to contend with social distancing and restrictions on travel as they developed their science TV programme – one of the assessments for the module. They were tasked with making a film which was roughly seven minutes long in a news feature style about a scientific subject of their choice. The rest was down to the filmmaking training they received – and their creativity. And this year, because of the limitations on what they could do due to the pandemic, they had to get particularly creative about where and how they filmed. But they put together some fantastic videos. Here’s a small sample of what they produced.

Gemma Kerr produced a video about Bristol Museum’s archive and its ‘living fossil’. Her film includes an interview with Rhian Rowson, a Curator at Bristol Museum.
Lucy Perrott put together a Focus on Fungi Q&A that features an interview with Dr Andy Bailey from the University of Bristol. 

MSc Science Communication Part-Bursary Scheme – open for applications

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This year, the Science Communication Unit at UWE Bristol is able to offer a bursary which will part-fund a place on its renowned MSc Science Communication. The value of the bursary is £1500.

To apply for the bursary, you must have applied for the MSc Science Communication by Friday 5th June 2020 and be wishing to start the course in September 2020. Only those who have been or who are in the process of being offered a conditional or unconditional full time place will be considered eligible. The bursary may only be used on the Science Communication courses offered at UWE Bristol.

The MSc in Science Communication is taught at UWE Bristol’s Frenchay campus. If however restrictions due to coronavirus are in place during part of the programme, full teaching will be provided online so that your learning is not effected.

To apply for the bursary, please complete one of the following;

Write a short popular article that is no more than 300 words long on an area of science, health or the environment. The article should include a headline. Also provide brief details of the publication where the article would appear, outlining its audience, the types of article it publishes and why your article is a good fit with the publication – this should be no more than 200 words. The chosen publication should be a newspaper, magazine or website that covers science-related topics for non-experts.

OR

Write an outline for a science communication activity (maximum 500 words) on an area of science, health or the environment. The outline should describe the planned activity, give an indication of content and details of the target audience.

Your work should be emailed to Andy Ridgway (details below) to be received by 5pm on Monday 15th June 2020. You will be informed if you have been successful in your application for a bursary by Friday 3rd July 2020. The successful applicant should inform us if they are subsequently successful in receiving funding from a different source or sponsor i.e. employers, local schemes, so that the bursary may be allocated to a different student.

Further information on UWE Bristol fees, studentship and bursary advice is also available here:

Andy Ridgway, Programme Leader MSc Science Communication

Andy.Ridgway@uwe.ac.uk +44 (0)117 328 3332

If you are not interested in applying for a bursary, the deadline for applications to the programmes remains the 31st July 2020. Please note – we are currently receiving a high number of applications and would encourage you to apply as soon as your application is ready.

Discovering science communication at the Science Communication Unit, UWE Bristol

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I’m a junior assistant professor at Utrecht University, which means I split my time 50/50 between teaching and PhD research. The moment I knew I wanted to specialize in science communication was when I was attending a lecture about an – at that time – recently published study as part of my training in Ecology. I remember being upset by the fact that no one outside the academic world had caught onto the study that the researchers had spent six years on. So many more people could benefit from the new insights!

That’s why I specialized in science communication through a graduate program in Writing and Communication at the University of Amsterdam. It involved a year of training in Communication Studies and Argumentation Theory as well as a six-month internship. For my internship, I worked at the science department of a Dutch national broadcasting agency (VPRO): I worked in communication, was an editor for the website and assisted in the production of Labyrint, a weekly science popularization program on national television.

After finishing my training, I worked as a teacher both at the University of Amsterdam, where I taught science communication and academic skills, and at Utrecht University where I taught in interdisciplinary research skills and academic writing. In my role as a teacher, I became interested in teaching practices and wondered why science communication played such a small role in academic programs. In the Dutch educational context, science communication training is part of graduate training although it is mostly confined to dedicated science communication programs or electorate courses. I especially noticed the lack of structural training in science communication and a lack of attention being paid to skills associated with communication in undergraduate training programs. As such, I wanted to know how science communication training could be implemented in the undergraduate program where I taught: Liberal Arts and Sciences at Utrecht University. Liberal education students are trained in interdisciplinary research skills and use insights from different disciplinary fields to study societal issues. These are real-world problems that often need societal awareness to come to a solution. Because most liberal education students pursue a career that enables them to make an impact on society, it’s important for them to learn how to communicate outside of their academic specialization.

In my PhD project, I get to explore science communication for interdisciplinary research settings. As my passion as a teacher is on teaching writing skills, they are the focus of my project. I use insights from both Linguistics and Educational Sciences to discover how writing skills in the genre of science communication, or popularization, can best be taught in liberal education settings. I use Liberal Arts and Sciences at Utrecht University as a case study.

I found out about the Science Communication Unit (SCU) when I was applying for the Julie Johnson Kidd Travel Research Fellowship. This grant allows teachers in liberal education to spend time at another university. Although Utrecht University has a highly regarded Linguistics department, it does not have a research group dedicated to science communication research, which is why I felt I could really benefit from input from the Science Communication Unit at UWE Bristol. What attracted me to the SCU was the fact that the research group combines insights from theory and practice, being known internationally as a leader in academic research into science communication, as well as producing its own science communication efforts. What made me especially enthusiastic about a stay at the Science Communication Unit was the MSc Science Communication that offers training to a new generation of science communicators.

In terms of my PhD, the literature told me that explicit teaching of science communication skills would lead to better scores and a higher self-perception of writing abilities. The next step was finding teaching interventions that are effective in teaching these writing skills, and the Science Communication programme was the perfect way for me to see teaching activities in action. The module ‘Writing Science’ was of specific interest to me as it is unique to have a course that focuses solely on writing skills in science communication. As part of my sabbatical I could sit in on teaching in this course and observe best practices in teaching. I was also able to ask students taking the module to participate in my research by letting them write one-minute papers and reflect on learning goals, the content of the classes and the results of the teaching efforts. Furthermore, I let students fill in a questionnaire about self-perception of their science communication skills and writing abilities. This gave me insights into the self-perception of their writing skills as well as their likes and dislikes in the way that the curriculum was built. I’ve never seen a more enthusiastic group of students! They loved everything about the programme and had no dislikes.

Left to right: Clare Wilkinson, Emma Weitkamp, Andy Ridgway and Hannah Little

I was also able to interview Emma Weitkamp, Hannah Little and Andy Ridgway, staff who teach on the module, about their didactical frameworks, educational vision, how to build a science communication curriculum, and educational techniques. I got to sit in on teaching for undergraduate programmes at UWE Bristol and on masterclasses, continuing professional development aimed at those working in the field. What really stood out to me is that in all their teaching, the SCU team would actively make the connection between theory and practice, offering many examples of science communication efforts to their students, as well as enabling students to participate in real-world science communication themselves.

More generally, my time in Bristol gave me insights into effective teaching techniques for science communication within the context of a specialized graduate programme. I will bring these insights with me to inform my further research. The next step in my own project is implementing teaching interventions in the undergraduate programme Liberal Arts and Sciences, and my stay in Bristol gave me some great insights into how I might construct this part of my research.

I felt like a research stay at the start of my second year of research was a great time for me to spend some time at SCU. This stay gave me some great insights into theory and practice and helped me bring more focus to my project. The entire team made me feel very welcome during my time at UWE, with academics  Andy Ridgway, Andrew Glester, Clare Wilkinson and Kathy Fawcett, letting me sit-in on their teaching. Furthermore, it was great to spend time with fellow PhD students David Judge and Elena Milani, who became real friends and helped exploring Bristol. In short, I would highly encourage any PhD student thinking about spending time at UWE Bristol to say yes to the opportunity!

Florentine Sterk stayed at the Science Communication Unit from September to November 2019 as a visiting PhD student. You can find out more about opportunities to spend a PhD sabbatical in the SCU here: https://www1.uwe.ac.uk/research/sciencecommunicationunit/coursesandtraining/postgraduateresearch/phdsabbaticals.aspx

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