ASC2018 - 11-15 Nov, Sydney

by

The value of social media for scientists: what do students think?

When: Tuesday 13th November, 4:00pm – 5:30pm
Where: Theatre, Level 2 down the stairs to the right of the registration/foyer area
Hashtag: #T12

Twitter is widely considered a useful and effective communication tool among scientists. I explored the perceptions of 472 research-active science students regarding the potential role that social media in general, and specifically Twitter, could play in scientists’ professional lives.

I initially asked students (pre-survey) whether they currently used Twitter and asked for their responses to statements including: ‘Social media plays an important role in the professional life of a scientist’, ‘Social media is a valid way to communicate about science with other scientists’ and ‘Having a professional presence on social media can help my science career’. A month after a class focused on the value of Twitter and other social media to scientists, I asked students to respond to the same statements (post-survey) and also established how many of them had begun using Twitter.

All results were similar across all years (2014 – 2018). Initially, most students used social media personally, but not professionally, and less than a third were Twitter users. Most students perceived social media to be a valid way of communicating about science with lay audiences; few believed this to be true for communicating among scientists.

At the time of the post-survey, half the class used social media both professionally and personally and roughly 80% answered that they were Twitter users. The proportion of students who believed that social media was a valid way to communicate about science with scientific audiences had also increased. Students were also more inclined to agree with the statement that social media plays an important role in the professional life of a scientist.

A one-hour session outlining the value of Twitter to scientists was sufficient to encourage many students to start using Twitter and appeared to contribute to more students seeing a role for social media in the professional life of a scientist.

Session

Evidence-based scicom: Research exploring new and social media

Presenter

Jen Martin, Educator and radio personality, The University of Melbourne

by

Evidence-based scicom: Research exploring knowledge, beliefs and perceptions

When: Tuesday 13th November, 2:00pm – 3:30pm
Where: Theatre, Level 2 down the stairs to the right of the registration/foyer area
Hashtag: #T8

When we look around, science communication is everywhere. You see it in museums, in television documentaries, in newspapers, on the radio, in science magazines, social media and the growth in citizen science. But how do we know whether any given effort in communicating science among public audiences is effective? And by which aims and objectives are those efforts measured?

This session will feature research case studies exploring knowledge, beliefs and perceptions and provide insights to improve science communication practice and impact evaluation.

The session is structured into five 15-minute talks and will wrap-up with a 15-minute Q&A for delegates questions and comments.

The session will include the following talks:

Session Producer

Isabelle Kingsley, PhD candidate, Science Communication, University of New South Wales

Session Chair

Dr Carol Oliver, Senior Research Fellow, University of New South Wales

by

Kickstart Science

When: Wednesday 14th November, 8:45am – 9:45am
Where: L3, Level 2 to the left of the registration/foyer area, down the hallway and through the doors on the right
Hashtag: #W5

The Kickstart Science workshops are aimed at HSC Science students and teachers and are designed to meet the demand expressed by teachers in response to previous and upcoming changes to the HSC Science syllabus. Parts of the syllabus requires equipment or expertise in areas that many schools may not be able to provide. Kickstart workshops give HSC students a chance to do experiments and demonstrations of key ideas in the syllabus that are difficult to do in the classroom.

Kickstart Science makes HSC Physics accessible for students and teachers. The experiments and demonstrations have covered aspects of the core and optional HSC Physics syllabus all in the setting of real teaching laboratories. Classes spend two and half hours going through our experiments in small groups. Each group has its own casual academic tutor and covers many dot points of the syllabus in depth. Worksheets are provided for all students and teachers.

The case study will introduce the Kickstart Science outreach program from the University of Sydney Faculty of Science, including how it is run and how it has changed in its history. We will cover some of the unique aspects of Kickstart Science including justification of how it is designed, reporting on how it is received by students and teachers and how it is held within the faculty of Science. We will also include challenges and future work.

Session

Case studies: Education

Presenter

Tom Gordon, Senior Science Communicator, University of Sydney, Faculty of Science

by

Unlocking curious minds: Promoting climate change knowledge and efficacy beliefs among students from lower decile schools

When: Tuesday 13th November, 2:00pm – 3:30pm
Where: Theatre, Level 2 down the stairs to the right of the registration/foyer area
Hashtag: #T8

Currently, we know little if youth are aware of climate change, understand its scientific causes or consequences, and potential solutions. In addition, science teachers’ needs assessment is largely lacking in developing science communication efforts. Based on a collaboration with head of science teachers in five lower decile schools, short and simple animations were developed based on best science communication practises. In particular, social cognitive theory (e.g., Bandura, 1995, 2000) was applied, to focus not only on climate impacts but also to increase self- and collective efficacy beliefs of students that they can individually and collectively act to mitigate and adapt to climate change. The five short videos featured animations on (1) how do we know climate change is happening, (2) how do we determine the impacts of climate change locally, and (3) what solutions will best help mitigate and adapt to climate change. Further, two local climate scientists were featured in separate videos as they are considered the most trusted source of information for the public, aligning with deference to authority theory (e.g., Brossard & Nisbet, 2007; Brossard, 2013). These videos were developed as a resource to local science teachers to adapt in various classes. Based on pre-post survey of 150 high school students following exposure to the videos, we found that the intervention increased students’ knowledge about anthropogenic climate change, belief in scientific consensus, and in particular, their individual and collective efficacies to come together and act on climate change. The science teachers also mentioned using the videos in other classes. The intervention indicates the potential for a collaborative effort between science communication experts, climate scientists, and local science teachers to be able to engage and elevate students’ knowledge and efficacy beliefs about climate change. This research also found the dwindling resources for science teachers needs to be met such local interventions to help teachers better address current science issues. The success of the intervention indicates the effectiveness of localised campaigns in affecting change.

Session

Evidence-based scicom: Research exploring knowledge, beliefs and perceptions

Presenter

Jagadish Thaker, Lecturer at the School of Communication, Journalism and Marketing, Massey University

Co-Author
Daniel Rimmer

by

Evidence-based scicom: Research exploring new and social media

When: Tuesday 13th November, 4:00pm – 5:30pm
Where: Theatre, Level 2 down the stairs to the right of the registration/foyer area
Hashtag: #T12

Science communication has evolved with the prevalence of new media, bringing opportunities for scientists and communicators to interact with their audiences in new ways. But what is the value of investing time, money and effort into these new and innovative ways of communicating science? What are the impacts and what works best?

This session will feature research exploring new media and social media and provide insights to improve science communication practice and impact evaluation.

The session is structured into five 15-minute talks and will wrap-up with a 15-minute Q&A for delegates questions and comments.

The session will include the following talks:

Session Producer, Session Chair

Isabelle Kingsley, PhD candidate, Science Communication, University of New South Wales

by

How should we communicate science on social media? A machine learning approach to science communication research.

When: Tuesday 13th November, 4:00pm – 5:30pm
Where: Theatre, Level 2 down the stairs to the right of the registration/foyer area
Hashtag: #T12

There is concern that a crisis of trust may be looming between society and scientists, as evidenced by the display of considerable public distrust in important issues such as climate change and childhood vaccinations. This perceived erosion of public confidence in science is one of the impetuses behind the public engagement with science movement, whereby scientists are called upon to engage in dialogues with the public to help improve public trust in science and scientists. Thanks to their built-in architecture for participation, social media have been hailed as useful tools that scientists can use to engage directly with the public. Despite the growing interest in social media to communicate science, evidence for the effectiveness of social media in influencing public attitudes towards science is scant. This study addresses two overarching research questions: (1) does communicating with scientists on social media have any effects on public trust in science and scientists? and (2) what are the factors that affect audience engagement and trust in science?

More than 500,000 space science-related social media messages were collected. The main method used is machine learning, demonstrating the feasibility of automated methods in science communication research. Results indicate that communicating with space scientists on social media causes a boost in trust in science and scientists. Further, results also suggest that the factors associated with audience engagement (e.g., retweets, likes) and trust in science are very different: visual elements stimulate audience engagement, while similarity is the biggest determinant of trust. Authenticity is the only feature that impacts both engagement and trust. This suggests that science audiences like and trust messages that are personal, honest, and genuine. The world increasingly needs scientists to also be advocates of science. The findings of this study represent concrete evidence that could help guide social media science communication efforts.

Session

Evidence-based scicom: Research exploring new and social media

Presenter

Yi-Ling Hwong, Post-doctoral research associate, Climate Change Research Centre, UNSW

Co-Author
Dr Carol Oliver, Senior Research Fellow, University of New South Wales

 

by

Community Perceptions of Coastal Hazards in New South Wales

When: Tuesday 13th November, 2:00pm – 3:30pm
Where: Theatre, Level 2 down the stairs to the right of the registration/foyer area
Hashtag: #T8

Much is known about the physical nature of coastal hazards in New South Wales (NSW) and management interventions available to mitigate their impacts. However, much less is known about social dimensions of communities and coastal users who are, or may be, affected by these hazards. This project aims to assess existing understanding and perceptions of coastal hazards by the NSW ‘coastal community’, specifically relating to inundation and erosion caused by coastal storms and sea level rise, by analysing sources of information and the level of trust regarding these sources.

A multi-tiered survey instrument was disseminated between November 2017 and April 2018 in order to gain information on a cross-section of the NSW coastal community. A total of 1065 survey responses were obtained from teachers (n=355); surf life saving club members (n=307), coastal accommodation visitors (n=237) and managers (n=61), indigenous communities (n=22), ‘frontline’ coastal residents (n=23), and coastal management professionals (n=60).

Results show that most NSW coastal users have a good understanding of coastal erosion and inundation, their associated consequences, and the various hard and soft solutions available to manage their impacts. However, some confusion exists regarding the future rate and impacts of sea level rise on the NSW coast and a significant number of respondents indicated they would still buy, and live in, a house at risk of coastal erosion and inundation.

This study highlights several important differences in perceptions and opinions of coastal hazards between coastal users and coastal management professionals in relation to different coastal environments and the best methods to communicate and educate the coastal community. The results from this study will be freely available through an online resource pack of information targeting various types of end users.

This project is funded by the NSW Department of Justice and supported by the Sydney Coastal Councils Group, Office of Environment and Heritage and Surf Life Saving New South Wales.

Session

Evidence-based scicom: Research exploring knowledge, beliefs and perceptions

Presenter

Anna Attard, Research Assistant and Masters Student, University of New South Wales

Co-Author
Robert Brander

by

New Role for Science in Science Communication – Lessons to learn from analyzing CCS media coverage in Germany

When: Tuesday 13th November, 4:00pm – 5:30pm
Where: Theatre, Level 2 down the stairs to the right of the registration/foyer area
Hashtag: #T12

The analysis of the media coverage of CCS in daily newspapers from 2004 to 2014 of CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) provided new insight into the role of science and science public relations (PR) within the public debate. While CCS is linked to various industry sectors, such as cement and steel production, the German debate predominantly focused on the coal and energy branches. CCS, while it is an important issue within the context of climate-change mitigation options, has played a major role in the agendas of scientists, researchers, and engineers. Nevertheless, CCS media coverage in Germany was dominated by other stakeholder groups. The analysis showed, that science has lost its role as a proactive actor within science communication. It seems, that new approaches for future science PR has to be deduced to strengthen, once again, the role of science communication. Among these approaches, it is important to pursue a more differentiated understanding of target audiences and regional concerns. Science PR has to accept that science itself is no longer the only stakeholder and actor within science communication.

Session

Evidence-based scicom: Research exploring new and social media

Presenter

Simon Schneider, Universität Potsdam, Institut für Erd- und Umweltwissenschaften

 

by

Inquiring science minds want to know: A visual-material approach to understanding the applied practice of interactive science reporting and audience engagement

When: Tuesday 13th November, 4:00pm – 5:30pm
Where: Theatre, Level 2 down the stairs to the right of the registration/foyer area
Hashtag: #T12

Abstract
This presentation looks beyond geospatial technology and considers a new, innovative approach to visual communication, interctive science reporting, and public engagement. Introduced is the concept of visual-material rhetorics as an effective mode of inquiry that situates story map journals (inclusive of geospatial narratives) as an emerging genres of interactive new media science reporting.

Introduction
New media platforms inclusive of interactive and geospatial technologies are emerging as multimodal artifacts in the field of science communication and journalism. With the addition of geospatially driven technologies in STEM industries, science communicators and journalists must look to innovative and multiple modes of inquiry that investigate how new media genre conventions in interactive science reporting engage public audiences. Amy Propen’s (2012) applied concept of visual-material rhetorics is introduced as an innovative method of inquiry in visual and science communication research. Her method of inquiry presents a new understanding of digital text and technology in relationship to space, place, and geospatial mapping and situates the spatial dimensions of scientific texts alonside multimodal components including interaction design and cartographic, geospatial technologies.

Methods/Approach
A genre analysis of existing interactive story maps journals used in STEM industries guided by visual-material rhetorics as an effective mode of inquiry. The study also recognizes how interactive story map journals could be theorized through the concept of visual-material rhetorics alongside traditional and contemporary understandings of new media genres and interaction design in science communication (Andersen, 2015; Caquard and Cartwright, 2014; iText working group, 2001; Propen, A., 2006, 2007, 2011; Villanueva, Dolum, and Belen, 2018).

Insights
This study identifies the effectiveness of visual-material rhetorics as an innovative mode of inquiry in the study of emerging new media, interaction design, visual communication, and multimodal environments used in science communication (Arola, Sheppard, and Ball, 2014; Fraiberg, 2018; Kelly, 2017; Miller and Kelly, 2017; Reid, G., 2017).

References
Andersen, J. (2015). Genre theory in information studies. Emerald Group Publishing.
Caquard, S., & Cartwright, W. (2014). Narrative cartography: From mapping stories to the narrative of maps and mapping. The Cartographic Journal: Cartography and Narratives – Special Issue (51)2, 101-106. https://doi.org/10.1179/0008704114Z.000000000130 Fraiberg, S. (2018). Multilingual and multimodal practices at a global startup: Toward a spatial approach to language and literacy in professional contexts. English for Specific Purposes, 51, 55-68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2018.03.003
Hiippala, T., & Tseng, C. I. (2017). Media evolution and genre expectations. Discourse, Context, and Media. 20, 157-159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcm.2017.11.001
iText Working Group, Geisler, C., Bazerman, C., Doheny-Farina, S., Gurak, L., Haas, C., Johnson-Eilola, J., Kaufer, D.S., Lunsford, A., Miller, C.R. and Winsor, D Winsor, D. (2001). IText: Future directions for research on the relationship between information technology and writing. Journal of Business and Technical Communication, 15(3), 269-308. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F105065190101500302
Miller, C. R., & Kelly, A. R. (Eds.). (2017). Emerging genres in new media environments. Springer International Publishing.
Propen, A. D. (2012). Locating visual-material rhetorics: the map, the mill, and the GPS. Parlor Press.
Propen, A. (2011). Cartographic representation and the construction of lived worlds: understanding cartographic practice as embodied knowledge. In M. Dodge, R. Kitchin, & C. Perkins (Eds.). Rethinking maps: new frontiers in cartographic theory. (pp. 131-148) Routledge.
Propen, A. D. (2006). Critical GPS: Toward a new politics of location. ACME: An International E-Journal for Critical Geographies, 4(1), 131. Propen, A. (2007). Visual communication and the map: How maps as visual objects convey meaning in specific contexts. Technical Communication Quarterly, 16(2), 233-254. https://doi.org/10.1080/10572250709336561
Reid, G. (2017). Shifting Networks of Science: Citizen Science and Scientific Genre Change. In Scientific Communication (pp. 17-38). Routledge.
Villanueva, L. S., Dolom, M. A. C., & Belen, J. S. (2018). Genre analysis of the “about us” sections of Asian Association of Open Universities websites. Asian Association of Open Universities Journal

Session

Evidence-based scicom: Research exploring new and social media

Presenter

Susan Rauch, Lecturer, professional writing (science and technology), Massey University, School of English and Media Studies

by

Comparing science communication models with a long-term participatory case study: The Climate Champion Program

When: Tuesday 13th November, 2:00pm – 3:30pm
Where: Theatre, Level 2 down the stairs to the right of the registration/foyer area
Hashtag: #T8

Over the last 20 years, scholars and policymakers have called for science communication to move beyond linear engagement to participatory engagement, especially with publically contested science. However, there has been little scholarly reflection on long-term participatory science communication practice. My study compared the theorised science communication models with a seven-year case study: the Australian Climate Champion Program, where scientists and farmers jointly addressed the problem of climate risk. I investigated scientists and farmers’ objectives for participating, the nature of their interactions, and the relationships between them. I analysed how they valued different sources of knowledge and acknowledged risk. Respectful, open and trusting relationships developed between most of the farmers and scientists participating in the program resulting in upstream engagement and co-learning. This case study demonstrates that a long-term participatory program can enhance co-existing linear forms of communication (deficit and dialogue) to help achieve participatory outcomes.

Session

Evidence-based scicom: Research exploring knowledge, beliefs and perceptions

Presenter

Jennifer Metcalfe, Director, Econnect Communication

 

Australian Science Communicators

About ASC.

@auscicomm

ASC on Facebook

Questions? Please contact Kali on asc2018@asc.asn.au.

Acknowledgements

© 2018 Australian Science Communicators

Editor Login.

SPONSORED BY

SUPPORTED BY

TRADE EXHIBITORS