More than 45 mostly graduate-level students attended the first offering of the course, Communicating Science and Risk Beyond Academia – or TOX 507/607 – this fall to learn to explain their scientific research from experts across Oregon State.
Students in the course discussed communicating to individuals, the public and media through a variety of methods such as blogs, social media and news releases. They learned to revise technical, scientific language to an 8th grade reading level in an effort to reach a broad audience.
“This was one of the more challenging activities,” says Environmental and Molecular Toxicology Assistant Professor Stacey Harper, who helped design the course. “At a minimum, the students gained an appreciation for just how difficult this is.”