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LSC-30059 - Module Specification
School of Life Sciences
Faculty of Natural Sciences

For academic year: 2024/25 Last Updated: 22 April 2024

LSC-30059 - Communication Skills for Biologists
Coordinator:
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 6
Credits: 15
Study Hours: 150
School Office: 01782 734414

Programme/Approved Electives for 2024/25

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2024/25

This module is intended to introduce you to innovative ways of presenting and disseminating information to a range of audiences both in a professional and social context. It aims to show you a range of modalities available to the science communicator in order to inform, enthuse and, to some extent, entertain both a scientific and a lay audience.
The module will explore written, verbal and electronic ways of presenting material and will include current and innovative methods such as the use of social media through to presenting to parliament and the writing of grant proposals all of which will be useful transferable skills when entering the world of employment.
As part of the assessment you will compose a scientific poster based on a current area of biological interest to be displayed at the Life Science Student Conference. The second assessment is to produce a portfolio of media based on the same biological topic and communicate this topic to range of audiences using a variety of the media you have been shown.

Aims
To introduce students to a range of essential communication skills that are applicable to careers in the scientific industry. The different media will need to be reviewed, evaluated and used to design a range of media for their chosen biological topic.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Critically analyse scientific information and extract the relevant information making it appropriate for the target audience: 1,2
2
Make judgements on the information they use to ensure that all legal, GDPR and ethical guidelines are adhered to: 2
Apply methods and techniques they have learned to prepare a range of media outputs that are appropriate to the target audience:

Study hours

Active learning hours
Workshops 13 hours
10 x 3 hours engagement with asynchronous topics (Active learning hours).
Independent study 107 hours.

School Rules

Barred module combination: LSC-30057 - Bioinformatics and Science Communication

Description of Module Assessment

1: Poster Presentation weighted 25%
Scientific Poster
Students will produce a scientific poster based on their Independent Student Project to be displayed at the life science student conference.

2: Portfolio weighted 75%
Portfolio of Communication Media
In this portfolio you will be expected to produce three different methods of presenting your chosen topic to a range of public audiences. You will be given a range of communication methods to choose from including educational sessions, professional documents and social media platforms. Each section is expected to take approximately 10 hours preparation time.

Please note that for the 2022/23 Academic Year programmes may be adapted to operate in accordance with a flexible, digital approach. This means that there may 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: 22 April 2024