Showing papers on "Science communication published in 1997"

Science Studies: An Advanced Introduction

Abstract: Thrust into the public eye by the contentious "Science Wars"--played out most recently by physicist Alan Sokal's hoax--the nascent field of science studies takes on the political, historical, and cultural dimensions of technology and the sciences Science Studies is the first comprehensive survey of the field, combining a concise overview of key concepts with an original and integrated framework In the process of bringing disparate fields together under one tent, David J Hess realizes the full promise of science studies, long uncomfortably squeezed into traditional disciplines He provides a clear discussion of the issues and misunderstandings that have arisen in these interdisciplinary conversations His survey is up-to-date and includes recent developments in philosophy, sociology, anthropology, history, cultural studies, and feminist studies By moving from the discipline-bound blinders of a sociology, history, philosophy, or anthropology of science to a transdisciplinary field, science studies, Hess argues, will be able to provide crucial conceptual tools for public discussions about the role of science and technology in a democratic society

Learning Science beyond the Classroom

Abstract: Science education reform documents call for science to be taught in the manner that students learn best, by conducting hands-on, engaging investigations using simple everyday materials. Often overlooked in the redesign of science education, informal science learning environments such as science centers, museums, and zoos provide students with captivating science experiences that can be related closely to curricular objectives. In this article I examine a cross-section of craft knowledge and research-based literature on science learning beyond the classroom, describe informal science education programs, and discuss implications for enhanced science teaching. The article focuses on the importance of informal science learning experiences, in the context of a variety of out-of-school science environments, for children and for in-service and preservice teachers. Informal science education environments provide students with unique, engaging science learning opportunities and classroom teachers with a wealth of ...

National Science Education Standards: Looking Backward and Forward

Abstract: As a whole, the National Research Council's National Science Education Standards describes a vision of scientific literacy for all students. Taken separately, the standards for content, teaching, assessment, professional development, school and district programs, and the science education system provide criteria to measure progress toward that vision. After reporting on the process for developing them, I describe 4 distinctive features of the standards. The first is the emphasis on all students understanding science. The next is the expanded definition of science, which is grounded in inquiry, includes the facts, concepts, laws, and theories of science subject matter, and extends to human dimensions of science. Another feature is the inclusion of standards for science content, teaching, and assessment in the same document in mutually reinforcing ways. Finally, the professional development, program, and system standards provide criteria to support the vision of science education. I discuss 3 barriers to th...

Science Today: Problem or Crisis?

Abstract: Introduction Section 1. Views and Conflicts In Praise of Science Lewis Wolpert A Consumer's Guide to Science Punditry Henry Bauer Visions of Embattled Science Mary Midgley Science Wars Hilary Rose Section 2. Democracy and the Curriculum Science and Public Policy - some Thoughts Tam Dalyell Science of the Times a 2020 Vision of Education Guy Claxton, Science Education for Democracy ways Forward Robin Millar, Democracy and Expertise Les Levidow Section 3. Science for All? School Science and its Problems with Scientific Literacy Peter Fensham, Towards a Functional Public Understanding of Science Edgar Jenkins, School Science and the Future of Scientific Culture Joan Solomon, Informed Ambivalence Section 4. Scientists and the Public From Big Bang to Damp Squib Graham Farmelo, Science through Play Richard Gregory, Sharing Science Sue Pringle

Social science and public health: issues of method, knowledge and power

Abstract: (1997). Social science and public health: issues of method, knowledge and power. Critical Public Health: Vol. 7, No. 1-2, pp. 61-72.

Sociological Models of Scientific Knowledge

Abstract: In contemporary advanced societies, the study of science and technology has acquired huge importance; this has been possible also thanks to the sociology of science. It is a hybrid specialty, because it derives from the sociology of knowledge and the social history of science, and yet is more and more conditioned by economics and politics. This critical review article examines the opposing sociological models of science which were developed in the 20th century, and relates them to the global processes of collectivization and steady state of science and technology. The diffusion of scientific communication is suggested as an important social goal.

Media studies in higher education : a case study of the social construction and reception of pedagogic discourse

Abstract: This thesis develops a social semiotic analysis of pedagogic communication in a media studies course which the author taught from 1993 until 1997. The author taught the course as part of an undergraduate honours degree about science, culture and communication in a university in the UK. The analysis describes the structuring of pedagogic practice on the level of the curriculum, and within the author's own "Communicating Science" module. The analysis also describes student receptions of pedagogic practice. The research reveals the extent to which pedagogic communication served to sustain the order which the degree was designed to contest: an order based on positivist conceptions of science, science communication, and therein, media theory and practice. The thesis concludes by proposing a theory of instruction which is designed to enable students to acquire the rules of realisation for more critical forms of science communication.

International Perspectives on Science Communication Ethics

Abstract: Today, I want to use my own field of science communication, and especially science journalism, to explore some of these competing values. I want to give examples of the kinds of issues that can be raised for students who go overseas, and suggest the types of thinking and learning that these issues can stimulate.

Hands-On Science Education in Rural Pennsylvania

Abstract: improve the way in which science is taught (Jacobson, 1992). To help improve science education, many have suggested &dquo;hands on&dquo; learning in which students perform experiments to discover scientific phenomena for themselves (Flick, 1993; LeBuffe, 1994; Shymanski et al., 1983). This makes sense because science is about experimental investigation rather than the learning of a set of facts. The main obstacle that science education faces is linked to economic problems of schools districts (Hadfield and Lillibridge, 1991 ).

Evaluation of scientific merit in col laboratories: A new look at an old question

Abstract: What role can information science play in promoting public understanding of science and technology? In order to answer this question, it is important to understand the new perspective which is emerging for research in the information science field. Internet, and the information superhighways announced both in Europe and the United States, are increasingly focusing attention on computer‐mediated communication within research communities. “Collaboratories”; is the name given to work aimed at using computer‐based technologies to help promote the social processes of knowledge production. One goal of information science lies in efforts to measure the contribution of technical devices to knowledge production practices. This is called infometrics research; it requires a clear understanding of how the social system of science regulates information flows to promote these practices.

Gordin Kaplan Award Lecture. Building a relationship: science and the

Abstract: An appreciation for the intrinsic relationship that exists among science, scientists, and the public must be established. Both practitioners of science and the public should be made more aware that science is part of everyday life and that the definition of a scientist should be more encompassing. It is generally accepted that the public supports but often does not understand the goals of the scientific community. This is often due to lack of effective communication. The scientific community has accepted accountability to the public and attempts have been made to improve our image. Programs by groups and individuals to interact with the public, particularly school children, have grown. However, there is still a need to expand this area. It is our responsibility to find our niche in science awareness programs as speakers, mentors, or facilitators. Participation in these programs is an essential part of a professional scientistis career and should be encouraged by administration. Interaction with the public improves our ability to explain science in lay terms and the relevance of our work to the community. End points should be established to measure success: not just numbers of students entering iscientifici careers but also science literacy. Developing this strategy will not only improve the image of the scientific community with the public but also build a lasting relationship where needs and aspirations will be mutually appreciated.

A Study on the Contextuality of the Science Education System

Abstract: Due mainly to the complexity of educational system, it is difficult to comprehend the phenomena and nature of the science education. Educators have developed various kinds of means and methods useful for easy understanding of the phenomena and nature. This study added another method supporting that the phenomena and nature of the science education should be understood in the context of educational system. System approach into thought is holistic and contextual in nature. It focuses on both the whole and its relevant parts, and is concerned with environmental context. By its definition, a system interact not only with another system but also with its environments. The purpose of this study was to answer such questions as "What is the science education?", or "What is the meaning of the science education?", "Why do we teach science?", "Why are we ought to teach science?", and "How do we know that those facts and methods are valid?" The results for the study are as follows: 1. Science education is the human behavior with the purpose to attain something through science and education. It is socio-cultural process, social and organizational activity into which the public deeply involved. The process and activity are usually undergirded upon the value of science education. 2. The science education system is analyzed in the light of the legislative institution. The system model that characterize of the system and the interrelationship among the systems is suggested in terms of the conceptions of boundary, components, variables, parameters and linkage, etc. Then, the science education system is divided into the plan-system, do-system and see-system by the use of the criterion of plan-do-see that is the general process of human activity. The study also identified that the system of science education is consisted of the aspects of science education administration, school science education, and science education evaluation. 3. As the frame of thought on the contextuality in the science education system, the contexts of meaning, organization, legislation and policy were presented, along with the main cognitive interest, the system, the orientation, and the premise of each context which were used to explain the reasons. The results of this study suggested a new approach into the comprehension of the educational phenomena in teaching science and the possibility of understanding science education as a whole.

The government's role in public trust of biomedical science

Abstract: Public trust in biomedical research depends in large part upon public attitudes toward science, the behavior of institutions involved in conducting and supporting biomedical research, and how mass media report on biomedical research. This paper explores those aspects of public trust, particularly the responsibilities of government as the major source of support for research using public funds.

Using a self-reflective journal to enhance science communication

Abstract: In new times the ability to self-evaluate and reflect on one's own actions in communicating with others will be a crucial workplace skill. An innovative peer tutoring course for academic credit, by university science students in high schools, will be presented, with a review on its ability to develop a link between school tutoring and workplace communication. Course content relates to broad issues of science literacy, science communication and group situations and peer interactions. Students complete on-campus lecture and workshop component, and do 20-30 hours of in-school tutoring; assessment includes an examination, assignments in the form of journals, and a personal learning log of experiences. Findings from the first two years of the course, based on data sources of students' journal entries and responses to the end of unit evaluations (1996, n = 21; 1997, n = 21) are presented. Analysis focuses on the development of reflective skills and students' awareness of their personal power in detecting and solving problems and developing strategies to promote two way communication. The use of self-evaluation through reflective journals was found to enhance the effectiveness of tutoring. Implications for developing the 'human side' of science will be discussed, and the appropriateness of the course to develop these often under-represented aspects of science.

Design and Implementation of a Structured Course in Science Communication for Traditional Small‐Group Tutorials

Abstract: SUMMARY This paper describes the replacement of traditional tutorials with a science communication course for Aquatic Bioscience students at The University of Glasgow. Our aims were: (a) to raise the standard of written and oral skills; and (b) address equity issues arising from the way in which our established tutorials were conducted. The content of each tutorial was at the discretion of individual tutors and students had criticized this arrangement because of differential experiences, workloads and outcomes. To tackle both issues, we proposed that tutors should use their tutorials to teach a common course on science communication. The type of course planned was ideally suited to teaching and learning in small groups, as the promotion of critical thinking and the development of attitudes and interpersonal skills were major considerations. Evaluation showed that students appreciated the concept of equity implicit within a common course. The emphasis on learning core skills was recognized as essential pre...

Why “more” is not necessarily better: Strategies for communication of science to the public

Abstract: In a time of segmented media markets, enormous potential audiences, and multiple means for audiovisual communication worldwide, it is important to define clearly the purpose of “public communication of science”; projects and initiatives and by what criteria they should be evaluated. Conveyed within a popular format, scientific information contains considerable potential for stimulating change, affecting personal decisions about diet and health, influencing political decisions, or shaping a community's perception of risk. Presence (or absence) of scientific information can empower (or isolate) citizens in a highly technological world, but access alone is insufficient when the amount of information from all sources increases rapidly. Current strategies for allocating resources and setting policy for public communication of science activities follow an outdated and potentially dangerous course because they emphasize volume over all other parameters. This article proposes a re‐examination of science communica...

Teaching Science and Technology Issues: Curriculum Perspectives.

Abstract: According to the Florida science standards, science teaching should enable students to understand the interdependent nature of the interactions between science, technology and society. On the other hand, if not handled with prudence, science and technological applications could become both a means and an end in themselves (Jacques Ellul cited in Katz, 1992). For example, the misapplication of scientific and technological knowledge in World War II (the Holocaust) resulted in the destruction of millions of Jews, Gypsies, and political opponents of Nazi Germany as an historical fact. According to Hirshfield, 1981, p.26, the Holocaust serves &dquo;...as the most