This course is intended to introduce you to some of the most widely used genres in online science communication and – more importantly – to get you thinking about how these genres work, how and why they appeal to particular audiences, and how you might begin using them yourself.
When we talk about genres, we mean texts, images, films and videos – or any combination of them – that share certain features. A graphic abstract, for example, is a combination of words and images that shares features with other graphic abstracts. The course includes work on genre principles (and their relationship to storytelling) because these principles will help you to think more clearly about connecting what you want to say with an audience.
The course is constructed so that you can work on it whenever you have time. You can dip into it, watch a video or do a quiz and dip out again, and come back to it whenever it suits you.
Some activities are very short and will only take you a few minutes. But other work in it – watching videos or undertaking a reflective task – will take longer. In total, if you were to attempt every task and worked on the reflective tasks in depth, the course would probably take you seven hours. But as we have mentioned, this period can be divided up however you like. The course has no time limit; you can distribute the seven hours over weeks or months.
You can choose your own pathway through the course modules. You can focus on the aspects of digital science communication you find most interesting. Officially completing the course means completing approximately 80% of the activities.
Many of the activities are quizzes. You will always have two attempts at each quiz but no more. The learning is in the attempt!
We hope you will find this course illuminating and helpful!
- Teacher: Thomas Russell
