Integrating communication skills into undergraduate science degrees: A practical and evidence-based approach

Authors

  • Lucy D Mercer-Mapstone University of Queensland
  • Louise J Kuchel University of Queensland

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20343/teachlearninqu.4.2.11

Keywords:

Communication Skills, Undergraduate Science, Learning Gains, Higher Education, Science Communication, Teaching and Learning

Abstract

The introduction of generic skills, such as communication, into undergraduate science degrees is becoming common in higher education and has met with mixed implementation success. This study designed, piloted, and evaluated a set of adaptable activities that scaffold the explicit teaching and learning of science communication with non-scientific audiences. These activities were implemented in undergraduate science classes from three disciplines at an Australian research-intensive university. A mixed- methods approach was used to evaluate learning gains by collecting data from: student surveys; semi-structured interviews with academic teaching staff; and student performance by marking of assessment tasks. Self-reported learning gains showed 95% of all students perceived improvements in their ability to do all communication skills and 94% perceived improvements in their confidence in communicating science as a result of the activities. Academic teaching staff reported improvements in students’ communication skills and understanding of core science content, and indicated that the tasks were explicit, engaging, and sustainable for use in future years. Students successfully transferred their learning to their assignments, demonstrating on average, a ‘good,’ ‘excellent,’ or ‘outstanding’ standard for each of the science communication criteria. These activities provide a promising starting point for integrating employable communication skills into undergraduate science degrees.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

Author Biographies

Lucy D Mercer-Mapstone, University of Queensland

Lucy Mercer-Mapstone is a PhD candidate at the Sustainable Minerals Institute and a co-fellow at the Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation at the University of Queensland.

Louise J Kuchel, University of Queensland

Louise Kuchel is a Teaching Focussed Lecturer at the School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, at the University of Queensland.

References

Academic Council of Deans of Science (ACDS). (2013). Background: Science threshold learning outcomes.

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). (2009). Cultivating biological literacy. In: Vision and change in undergraduate biology: A call to action .

Anderson, D., & Burns, S. (2013). One-minute paper: Student perception of learning gains. College Student Journal, 47 (1), 219-227.

Archer, A., & Hughes, C. (2011). Explicit instruction: Effective and efficient teaching. New York: Guilford Press.

Australian Government Department of Industry (2013). Higher Education Statistics .

Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF, 2013). AQF Specification for the Masters Degree .

Bandiera, O., Larcinese, V., & Rasul, I. (2010). Heterogeneous class size effects: New evidence from a panel of university students*. The Economic Journal, 120 (549), 1365-1398. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-0297.2010.02364.x

Barrie, S., Hughes, C., Smith, C., & Thomson, K. (2009). Key issues to consider in the renewal of learning and teaching experiences to foster graduate attributes.

Bath, D., Smith , C., Stein, S., & Swann, R. (2004). Beyond mapping and embedding graduate attributes: Bringing together quality assurance and action learning to create a validated and living curriculum. Higher Education Research & Development, 23 (3), 313-328. doi: 10.1080/0729436042000235427

Biggs, J. B., & Tang, C. (2011). Teaching For quality learning at university . Maidenhead, UK: McGraw-Hill Education.

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3 (2), 77-101. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

Brown, S., Race, P., & Rust, C. (1995). Using and experiencing assessment. Assessment for learning in higher education . London: Kogan-Page.

Brownell, S. E., Price, J. V., & Steinman, L. (2013). Science communication to the general public: Why we need to teach undergraduate and graduate students this skill as part of their formal scientific training. Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education, 12 (1), E6-E10.

Brownell, S. E., Price, J. V., & Steinman, L. (2013a). A writing-intensive course improves biology undergraduates' perception and confidence of their abilities to read scientific literature and communicate science. Advances in Physiology Education, 37(1), 70-79. doi: 10.1152/advan.00138.2012

Cook-Sather, A. (2011). Lessons in higher education: Five pedagogical practices that promote active learning for faculty and students. Journal of Faculty Development, 25 (3), 33-39.

Craig, L. (2011). Writing across the curriculum: A brief summary of pedagogy and practices . Cambridge: Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Crooks T. (1998). The impact of classroom evaluation practices on students. Assessment in Education, 5 , 131-7.

Cummings, R. (1998). How should we assess and report student generic attributes ?

Dietz, T. (2013). Bridging values and deliberation to science communication. PNAS , 110 , 14081-14087. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1213532110

Divan, A., & Mason, S. (2015). A programme-wide training framework to facilitate scientific communication skills development amongst biological sciences masters students. Journal of Further and Higher Education , 1-25. doi: 10.1080/0309877X.2014.1000276

Gray, F. E., Emerson, L., & MacKay, B. (2005). Meeting the demands of the workplace: Science students and written skills. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 14(4), 425-435. doi: 10.1007/s10956-005-8087-y

Greenbowe, T. J., & Schroeder, J. D. (2008). Implementing POGIL and the science writing heuristic jointly in undergraduate organic chemistry—Student perceptions and performance. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 9,149-156.

Harden, R. M., & Crosby, J. R. (2000). AMEE education guide no. 20: The good teacher is more than a lecturer—The twelve roles of the teacher. Medical Teaching, 22, 334-47.

Jones, S., Yates, B., & Kelder, J. A. (2011). Learning and teaching academic standards project: Science learning and teaching academic standards statement.

Kember, D. (2003). To control or not to control: The question of whether experimental designs are appropriate for evaluating teaching innovations in higher education. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 28(1), 89-101.

Kuchel, L., Wilson, R., Stevens, S., & Cokley J. (2014). A documentary video assignment to enhance learning in large first-year science classes. International Journal of Innovation in Science and Mathematics Education, 22(4), 48-64.

Kuh, G. D. (2008). Why integration and engagement are essential to effective educational practice in the twenty-first century. Peer Review, 10, 27-28.

Leggett, M., Kinnear, A., Boyce, M., & Bennett, I. (2004). Student and staff perceptions of the importance of generic skills in science. Higher Education Research & Development, 23(3), 295-312. doi: 10.1080/0729436042000235418

McDonald, R., & Sansom, D. (1979). Uses of assignment attachments in assessment. Assessment in Higher Education, 5, 45-55.

McInnis, C., Hartley, R., & Anderson, M. (2000). What did you do with your science degree? A national study of employment outcomes for science degree holders 1990-2000.

Mercer-Mapstone, L. D., & Kuchel, L. J. (2015). Core skills for effective science communication: A teaching resource for undergraduate science education. International Journal of Science Education, Part B: Communication and Public Engagement. doi: 10.1080/21548455.2015.1113573

Mercer-Mapstone, L. D., & Kuchel, L. J. (2015). Teaching scientists to communicate: Evidence-based assessment for undergraduate science education. International Journal of Science Education. 37(10), 1613-1638. doi:10.1080/09500693.2015.1045959

Moni, R. W., Hryciw, D. H., Poronnik, P., & Moni, K. B. (2007). Using explicit teaching to improve how bioscience students write to the lay public. Advances in Physiology Education, 31, 167-75. doi: 10.1152/advan.00111.2006

Morgan, M. K., Clarke, R., Weidmann, M., Laidlaw, J., & Law, A. (2007). How assessment drives learning in neurosurgical higher training. Journal of Clinical Neuroscience 14(4), 349-354. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jocn.2005.12.011

Ontario Council of Graduate Studies (OCGS, 2005). Graduate Degree Level Expectations.

Quality Assurance Agency UK (QAA, 2007). Subject Benchmark Statement: Biosciences.

Ramsden, P. (1992). Learning to teach in higher education. London: Routledge.

Rosenshine, B. (1986). Synthesis of research on explicit teaching. Educational Leadership, 43(7), 60-69.

Saunders, M. N. K., & Davis, S. M. (1998). The use of assessment criteria to ensure consistency of marking: Some implications for good practice. Quality Assurance in Education, 6(3), 162-171. doi:10.1108/09684889810220465

Shute, V. J. (2008). Focus on formative feedback. Review of Educational Research, 78(1), 153-189. doi: 10.2307/40071124

Stevens, S. (2013). What communication skills are taught in Australian science degrees and what else do students learn from "communication to non-scientists" tasks? (Unpublished honours thesis). University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.

Universities Australia (2014). Student numbers and characteristics.

Varsavsky, C., Matthews, K. E., & Hodgson, Y. (2013). Perceptions of science graduating students on their learning gains. International Journal of Science Education, 36(6), 929-951. doi: 10.1080/09500693.2013.830795

Yorke, M. (2006). Employability in higher education: What it is—What it is not. York: Higher Education Academy.

Published

2016-09-26

How to Cite

Mercer-Mapstone, Lucy D, and Louise J Kuchel. 2016. “Integrating Communication Skills into Undergraduate Science Degrees: A Practical and Evidence-Based Approach”. Teaching and Learning Inquiry 4 (2):122-35. https://doi.org/10.20343/teachlearninqu.4.2.11.