Professional Development Fellowship: Mental Models Study of Perceptions of Audience in Science and Technology Communication

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Abstract forProfessional Development Fellowship: Mental Models Study of Perceptions of Audience in Science and Technology CommunicationThis fellowship project draws upon methods of cognitive sciences and STS studies to focus on how technical experts engage with communication professionals in the public arena to translate new knowledge in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) for diverse audiences. The project consists of an educational component to provide preparation in mental models research methods to the fellowship recipient and a research component in which these methods will be used to study perceptions of audience and decision-making of novices and experts in the communication of STEM content to general audiences. The research targets the greatest barrier for STEM graduate students to becoming more effective communicators: issues of audience, that is, use of jargon, parroting technical explanations, inappropriate technical detail, and inappropriate order of information. Many STEM graduate students have very little contact with non-scientists on a daily basis and therefore little opportunity to develop mental models of what is appropriate for general readers. This project is aimed at eliciting the mental models of these students as a necessary first step in designing educational interventions. Professional science journalists, on the other hand, have an extensive working model of what audiences know and don?t know, but the process by which these experts make decisions about content and structure of writing for general audiences is essentially a ?black box.? Mental models methods will be used to characterize the thought processes of a group of experienced science journalists in order to compare them with those of STEM graduate students and to identify educational interventions to help novices advance to more expert levels. Based on the comparison of the expert and novice models, two versions of a communication learning module will be developed and pilot tested with STEM graduate students. This work should yield new understanding that may transform how we teach STEM experts to communicate with broader audiences. The results ultimately may enhance the interactions between technical experts and groups such as policymakers and the press.