Science Communication Education - An educational approach from specialty ability to "super" ability

Mamoru Hayashi(editor, journalist)

1. Introduction

Until now, graduate school education has been evaluated on publication and the curriculum's "focus/depth." However, in today's society, that education is insufficient for journalists or specialists. Neither "focus/depth" nor "broad/shallow" is sufficient; a "broad/deep" science communication ability is necessary for both of journalist and specialist.

It has been thought that the best career path for scientists and engineers is to become a professor in academic institution including universities with the "peak" being in research. However, today society is more complex than in the past and we have many new possibilities.

The main style of communication in the scientific field has been "pushpin". In pushpin style communication, people tend to talk only to other specialists or in very general discourse. From now, "conical" communication is necessary. [In conical communication, people communicate in fields adjacent to their specialties.]

Today, science communication has been receiving attention. To enhance of people's ability of science communication is one of important issue s in science policy. There are 4 main areas in science communication. The Science Café is one of the new types of activities to promote science communication.

It is said that an important issue in science communication is to break away from the "lack" model. The lack model is thinking that professionals, experts, and government have the correct knowledge which citizens as layperson lack and that the objective of science communication is to provide citizens that knowledgeSo it is important that scientists, industrial world, governments, citizens communicate mutually on science.

Mr. Goethe, who is the chief editor of the most popular scientific journal in Europe showed fig.3. He said that bi-directional or multi-directional communication on science will develop all sides.

The 4 levels in science journalism are shown below. The attainment level of Japanese journalists is 1 or 2 on average, and 3 at the best. On the other hand, it is said that the level of "Nature" in Britain has been 4 from the first edition.

1. Does the magazine or the article report scientific knowledge accurately? (From specialist's view.)
2. Is the magazine or the article easy to understand and interesting? (If difficult, it is irrelevant!)
3. Does the magazine or the article show critical thinking? (If not it is simply scientific advertising.)
4. The role of scientific journalism is to educate about science. (There are few that do this and even those against it. `Nature` has done it from its establishment.)

For example, in the Kobe earthquake, the level of research was advanced, but the public was unprepared. In Japanese schools, we have tried to separate social from science education; however it is important to think of science journalism and science communication a process not only to report scientific knowledge but also the social impact of it.

2. The Object of Science Communication Education

�@ General population
Science communication education is a different approach from existing science education which teaches the knowledge according to the body of science. The objective of the new education for the general population is to educate a person who is able to communicate and participate in decision making in scientific matters from the social point of view.

�A Scientists, researchers
The education nurtures one's ability 1) to write scientific papers, 2) to learn social outreach techniques, and 3) to communicate with researchers in different fields.

�B Science communicators(a new career path)
Possible careers for graduates are as a public relations person in corporations or in research institutes, science teachers, science journalists, and science communicators (in narrow sense).

Do the present scientists lose interest to the science?

In Japan, the journal "Nyu-ton" for a general audience sells well; but the journals for scientists and science educated people, "Kagaku" and "Nikkei Saiensu" sell steadily but with difficulty. This is because scientists have a low level of interest in fields other than their own; we need science communication that revives scientists' interest in the other fields of science.

It is not true that scientists in Japan are not interested in publishing science books, for example, the fourty-year series by the publisher Bluebacks.

3. Scientists perfect, Citizens ignorant? -The Radish Sprout E-coli (O157) Panic in Sakai city

The appearance of the panic was not because the public was ignorant; the facts were not sufficiently known to experts and the government. This time, the infection route which is the basis of bacterial ecology was not understood.

The information proceeded from the Ministry of Health and Welfare to the media, from the media to the distributors and the consumers. The public relation officer of Ministry of Health and Welfare and the media could not show the total picture of the infection's bacterial ecology. The information was dispensed in fragments, and the public, from the fragmented and confusing information about the dangers, got panicky. There was a lack of important scientific information for an informed discussion.

It is a mistake to say that difficult science communication is bad and easily understood is good. Both sides must be "willing to change." It is important to not avoid "the essential difficulties of science", but to freely discuss science and its importance.

4. The reasons that science is difficult to understand

First, science is high-level specialized knowledge (requiring specialists and specialized training). Second, people presume that scientific knowledge is difficult to understand. Third, people don't have enough skill in science communication.

But as we can see from the big selling scientific novel "Parasite Eve", by Hideaki Sena, people will read difficult scientific novels if they are interesting.

Comparing other journalism fields and science journalism for "technicality"

1. Sports
   Sports is highly specialized with specialists (none more so than the ballplayer Ichiro). However, people don't presume that sports are too difficult to understand. It is expected that sports reporters have sports communication skills (a reporter who does not understand sports and the fans is not considered to have the requisite skill). People enjoy to see the top athlete's game because they themselves cannot do them. People enjoy to see the games because that they themselves cannot do.
2. Politics
   Politics is highly specialized with specialists (don't we understand the basis of information for essential decisions?). The new experience becomes new center of attention. Even though it is "difficult to understand" "knowledge is insufficient" people have to make a decision on political issues. Political journalists are required to have politics communication skills.

5. Practical science communication education

We cannot change science's high-level specialization. There is usefulness in science education of understanding it from various points of view. Scientists can understand and explain the significance of their research within the science community to the public.

6. The time and objective of science communication education

1. After university entrance:This moment is a good chance for explore various scientific activities, methodologies, and social problems caused by science. It is a good way to have science communication class in parallel with classes in which students learn scientific knowledge itself. It may be desirable to offer a chance of on the job training for students who want to major science communication.
2. In the latter half of undergraduate or graduate school: In this term, students study more advanced level knowledge in their majors. In science communication classes in this term, they can study how to apply their expertise to communication with a people of different backgrounds. Short term program of science communication or a practical science communication course as minor may be recommended. A science communication major is desirable.

7. What you should do in science communication education?

1. Science Writing Classes
   (See Section 9)
2. Research Laboratory for science communication
   Establish a research laboratory of science communication with staff (at least one full time staff), offer science writing classes, and conduct research activities with graduate and undergraduate students.
   You may have a lab website, and publish public relations magazines as OJT.
   You can have collaborative projects on science communication with science museums, NPOs, media companies, and innovators. You should aspire to research project that can contribute to non-academic fields (on site).

8. Examples of science communication education

Kyoto Univ.(Prof.Kato), Univ. of Tokyo (Prof.Sakura), Wakayama Univ. Osaka Univ., Doshista Univ., Ocghanomizu Women's Univ., National Science Museum, Toyama Univ., NPO Scicom Japan, Hokkaido Univ., Waseda Univ.

9. What is science writing?

What is the difference between science writing and scientific writing? Scientific writing is a way to write research papers and text books. Science writing is a way to write articles in science journalism or science communication fields. In science writing, more so than research papers and text books you have to write so that readers will be interested. In order to do that, writers should have broad and rich knowledge of science and society and use it for writing. Readers can guess the meaning of jargon with their existing knowledge, the flow of the text, and with logic.

In science writing, you shouldn't simply write for easy understanding but also attractively, concretely, and disputatiously. Secondly, you should write in a manner to appeal to the readers' intellect since the ability to understand context, to deduce causal relationships, and develop a story is a basic characteristic of the human brain. Cartooning is a good example. A good cartoon has a logical structure. And you should write so that readers can imagine difficult scientific facts from the knowledge they already possess. Using examples is good way for them to understand.

You should write sensational issues as sensational. You should not write just the conclusion but also the dispute on the conclusion.

In the class, students write articles, discuss them, corrected by the teacher, and then rewrite them. In the class, they analyze what kind of logic is working in the article, and learn how to rephrase jargon, how to tell stories, how to interview, and how to dramatize it.

Q&A:

1. Communication between specialists of different fields

Q; As an example, how should bioethics specialists communicate with business ethics specialists? How do specialists of different fields communicate with each other?

A: Science writing is the very skill for those situations. An ability to understand the essence and express it in a way that isn't wrong from the viewpoint of the specialist is important in science writing.
Graduate school students tend to be given their themes without information of the significance of the theme. Then students don't have an idea how to write the purpose of and the significance of their study at their first presentation to an academic society. More than a few students simply copy right out of someone's former presentation. With this type of study, the student cannot develop their communication ability with specialists of neighboring fields. To discuss with specialist of neighboring fields, he or she needs expressiveness and a broad knowledge. If you write articles in science journalism, you should write them attractively, concretely, and disputatiously. On the other hand, if you write about intellectual property, you should write them attractively and concretely.

2. Communication with students who don't like science

Q: Does the science communication you introduced include communication with student who don' t like science?

A: Yes. When you communicate with students who don't like science, you should explore when and why they dislike science?

Q: For example, some students have difficulties to understand when they learned concepts that are not visible such as oxygen.

A: I hit upon 2 reasons why they don't like science:1) they never try to teach the social aspect of science in schools, 2) the level of science class in primary schools are too low for students to be interested in. If you get rid of the social aspect of science in science class, only 30% of the student who really like science are interested in the science and other students are not.

3. Communication between things and persons-observation, experiments

Q: In the post war days, in Japanese science education in primary schools, teachers made students experiment first, and students consider it, and teachers give the students deductive ideas. "Observation and Experiment" written by Itakura was very popular at that time. We communicate about things through observation and experiments. Does science communication include communication about things?

A: We include laboratory introduction in science writing. We have a class of laboratory introduction in science writing class. We offer a basic lecture about science communication first. Secondly, students create ideas their laboratory introduction, and discuss it with other class members. Thirdly, students have exhibitions. After the exhibition, they assess the exhibitions. Sometimes guides of the exhibition of experiment cannot explain the principles of the experiment. The objective of our class is to teach an ability to explain the principles to non-specialists, for example.

Q: I tell my students very often that an engineer should make a decision with an understanding how his or her decision affects society and the environment. The objective of ethics education of engineering students is to educate engineers who can do it. Do you think that educating an engineer who can relate how science and technology affects society is a part of science communication education?

A: Yes. A medical doctor isn't an expert of patient sickness but that of treatment. A medical doctor also should understand how the treatment affects the patient's daily life. That is a part of ethics.

4. Takeshi Kitano's TV program

Q: I think the TV program in which Takeshi Kitano plays MC is a good program from the view point of science communication. What do you think of it?

A: I have not watched the TV program. Some TV programs have a high quality because they produce the program with the audience rating in mind.

5. Career making of the graduates.

Q: Hokkaido Univ. also created a new program "Science & Technology Communication Unit". What do you think of the career possibilities of graduates?

A: It is said that we have few number of science journalists in Japan. I don't agree with that. I think a science journalist in a publishing company is one possible career. And I think universities and research institutes should hire more persons who promote communication between society and university.

Q: Mr.Sena, who is the author of "Parasite Eve", will be a professor of Tohoku University. His mission is to communicate with all professors in department of engineering and identify possibilities.

6. Difference among Science, Sport, and Politics

Q: Your comparison among Science, Sport, and Politics was interesting. Are those 3 essentially different or simply in image? Is the amount of knowledge essential in science the problem?

A: Scientific activity is difficult because one should learn all levels of knowledge from the basic level through an advanced level if he or she wants to understand the most advanced level(he or she cannot skip the basic level). Comparing a science museum to a sports center, we can find big differences between them. In sports centers, they have programs for beginners, tournament for beginners. We can enjoy sports at any level. Science should also be like sports. It should be open to people at any level. To participate in the science world, one should roughly understand the technology.