Effectively Communicating Science Workshops (2021-2024); Saint Paul, Minnesota

该项目支持一系列研讨会，将不同的科学专业人员和经验丰富的法学院教师聚集在一起，开发在一系列具有挑战性的交流环境中向非科学家交流复杂的科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)概念的有效实践。为了有效地进行交流和教学，科学家必须了解如何向非科学家、缺乏对复杂科学原理的理解的观众解释他们的工作。科学家不能为这一方或另一方辩护，但他们必须能够传达他们工作的实质、质量和准确性。主要目标是提高参与者在各种正式环境中向非科学家交流和教授复杂的STEM概念的能力。在讲习班期间，参与者学习和实践科学家和非科学家的作用，以便：1)发展和建立有效交流其专业知识所需的技能；2)了解非科学家的文化和观点；以及3)加深对向非科学家交流和教授复杂的STEM概念所面临的不同挑战的理解和欣赏。这些讲习班展示了体验式学习的优点，并在讲习班期间通过个性化的反馈和指导提供实践机会。与会者还讨论了与向非科学家交流和教授STEM概念有关的伦理问题。潜在的更广泛的影响(B.I.)提供身临其境的实践学习和演示体验，在科学家和法律专业人员的新交流场所交流复杂的科学。这一合作有助于弥合在理解两个专业团体的文化规范和伦理考虑方面的差距，这两个专业团体在技术问题上的互动越来越多。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project supports a series of workshops that bring together a diverse group of science professionals and experienced law school faculty to develop effective practices in communicating complex science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts to non-scientists in a range of challenging communication settings. To communicate and teach effectively, scientists must understand how to explain their work to audiences who are not scientists and lack understanding of complex scientific principles. Scientists must not be an advocate for one side or the other, but they must be able to convey the substance, quality, and accuracy of their work. The main objective is to improve participants’ abilities to communicate and teach complex STEM concepts to non-scientists in a variety of formal settings. During the workshops, participants learn and practice the role of both scientists and non-scientists in order to: 1) develop and build upon skills necessary to effectively communicate their expertise; 2) understand the culture and perspectives of nonscientists; and 3) develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of the different challenges in communicating and teaching complex STEM concepts to non-scientists. The workshops demonstrate the merit of experiential learning and provide hands-on practice opportunities with individualized feedback and coaching during the workshops. Participants also discuss ethical issues concerning communicating and teaching STEM concepts to non-scientists.The potential Broader Impacts (B.I.) involve providing an immersive hands-on learning and demonstration experience in communicating complex science in a novel communication venue for scientists and in collaboration with legal professionals. This collaboration helps bridge the gap in understanding the culture norms and ethical considerations of the two professional communities that increasingly interact over technical issues.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.