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Science in Context (SCIE90004)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5Not available in 2017
Overview
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As a Scientist, one of the main challenges is to communicate scientific knowledge to the wider community. Whether the issues are big or small, communicating complex scientific knowledge needs to be ‘context relevant’. Increasingly, scientific knowledge also has to be communicated in a global and cross-cultural environment. This subject aims to equip you with some of the skills that you will need to analyse cross cultural contexts and communicate scientific and technical knowledge effectively across a wide range of sectors and communities.
Intended learning outcomes
This subject explores how scientific knowledge is perceived by a diverse audience, including the media, corporations, governments and across cultures. Topics include the place and perception of the sciences across cultures, communicating scientific knowledge successfully and intercultural communication. At the completion of the subject, students should:
- understand how different non-science sectors work and how they view scientific knowledge;
- understand the relationship between science and cultures;
- be familiar with some techniques of contextual analysis;
- have explored the process of communicating with diverse audiences appropriately;
- understand the range of actions that can be taken to facilitate successful scientific knowledge communication across different contexts.
Generic skills
Students should acquire a range of generic skills. They should:
- enhance their ability to formulate and articulate rational argument through seminar and online discussions;
- develop further their abilities to engage critically with lecture material and the subject literature;
- improve their time management skills by planning and delivering assignments as required;
- learn to apply theory to practice in seminar discussions and assessable tasks;
- improve their cross-cultural analytical skills - specifically the adoption of appropriate frameworks for problem identification, information handling, communication and critical thinking through engagement with case studies.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Assessment
Additional details
- Seminar discussion and participation, requiring approximately 13 - 15 hours of work (10%)
- Two individual reports (500 words each) (2 X 10%) Due in Week 6 and 10 respectively, requiring approximately 13 - 15 hours of work per report
- One group report (2000 words), requiring approximatley 25 - 30 hours of work (20%), due in week 11 and/or 12, and 1 group presentation of up to 30 minutes based on group report, requiring approximaterly 35 - 40 hours of work (30%)
- End-of-semester submission (2500 - 3000 words),requiring approximately 45 - 50 hours of work (40%).
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Dates & times
Not available in 2017
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
Note that there are no textbooks in this subject. Required readings are in the Subject Reading Pack available from the Bookroom. Supplementary readings may be suggested in class.
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Major Environmental Science Major Environmental Science Major Environmental Science - Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
Additional information for this subject
Subject coordinator approval required
Last updated: 3 November 2022