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PSY-10038 - Module Specification
School of Psychology
Faculty of Natural Sciences

For academic year: 2021/22 Last Updated: 16 February 2022

PSY-10038 - Science Communication
Coordinator: Richard Stephens Room: DH1.75 Tel: +44 1782 7 33600
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 4
Credits: 15
Study Hours: 150
School Office: 01782 733736

Programme/Approved Electives for 2021/22

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Yes

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2021/22

What use is psychological science if people don't trust or benefit from its findings? The relatively new field of science communication recognises the importance of HOW communication is designed and structured in order to facilitate maximum public engagement. While you might never have heard of science communication, you almost certainly have engaged with its output. From David Attenborough documentaries to Ted Talks, science communication is now mainstream. This module is organised into themed weeks, such as: Finding your voice week (practicing), Dragon¿s Den week (pitching), Movie week (long format) and It¿s all about you week (employability). The module will teach you techniques for designing engaging science communications suitable for non-specialist audiences, will provide the opportunity for you to demonstrate using these techniques to produce fascinating and compelling psychological science communications, and will make you aware of your communication skills strengths while identifying areas for further development.

Aims
This module aims to develop your ability to communicate psychological scientific content to non-specialist audiences. You will be introduced to a variety of communication techniques, such as pitching, arouse and fulfil, and story structures, and will develop your range of communication skills. The module aims to support you in understanding and evaluating psychological information, and to write about it accurately and engagingly. It will prepare you to make a difference to the wider world and help make you more employable.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Produce accurate sci coms (i.e., communications of scientific content) suitable for non-specialist audiences: 1
Demonstrate use of techniques for increasing reader engagement such as ¿arouse and fulfil¿ or ¿story structures¿: 1
Reflect on their sci-coms skill-set development: 1
Critically evaluate a range of psychological sources:

Study hours

Taught class time - 20 hours
Reading, preparation, and independent study - 70 hours, of which around 10 hours will be asynchronous guided activities
Assessment 1 - 20 hours
Assessment 2 - 40 hours

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Assignment weighted 30%
Pitch
Pitching for the job of psychology writer on the Science Tribune Magazine. Students will choose from a selection of short psychology studies about which to prepare a critical 500 word summary. As this is part of a competitive job application process, students are advised to use the techniques taught on the module to write as engagingly as possible.

2: Assignment weighted 70%
Blog and reflection
A critical blog (600 words),with a free choice of what research source to blog about. Students are congratulated on getting the psychology writer "job" and set this as their first assignment. Accompanying these submissions there should be a 400-word personal reflection on sci coms skills development building on the feedback provided on summative assessment 1. 60% of the overall mark will come from the blog, and 40% from the reflection.

Please note that for the 2021/22 Academic Year all programmes will be adapted to operate in accordance with a flexible, digital approach. This means that there will be some changes made to how modules are delivered and assessed. The latest information will be provided to you by your School in module handbooks. We endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes and details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/student-terms-and-conditions/

Last Updated: 16 February 2022