Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States.
Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States.
Adv Physiol Educ. 2023 Dec 1;47(4):910-918. doi: 10.1152/advan.00085.2022. Epub 2023 Sep 28.
The development of science writing and presentation skills is necessary for a successful science career. Too often these skills are not included in pre- or postsecondary science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, leading to a disconnect between high schoolers' expectations for college preparedness and the skills needed to succeed in college. The Young Scientist Program Summer Focus recruits high school students from historically marginalized backgrounds to participate in 8-week summer internships at Washington University in St. Louis. Students conduct hands-on biomedical research projects under the mentorship of Washington University scientists (graduate students, postdoctorates, lab staff). Here, we present the curriculum for a science communication course that accompanies this early research experience. The course is designed to strengthen students' communication skills (critical reading, writing, presenting, and peer review) through a combination of weekly lectures and active learning methods. It prepares students for the capstone of their summer internship: writing a scientific paper and presenting their results at a closing symposium. We administered pre- and postprogram surveys to four Summer Focus cohorts to determine whether the course met its learning objectives. We found significant improvements in students' self-confidence in reading, interpreting, and communicating scientific data. Thus, this course provides a successful model for introducing science literacy and communication skills that are necessary for any career in STEM. We provide a detailed outline of the course structure and content so that this training can be incorporated into any undergraduate and graduate research programs. Strong communication skills are necessary for a successful scientific career. Here, we describe the curriculum for a science communication course designed to accompany high school students participating in a summer biomedical research program. The course aims to improve their scientific literacy and communication skills. Students learn to read and understand scientific literature, write a paper about their summer research project, present their results, and provide feedback to peers. We found significant improvements in students' self-confidence in reading, interpreting, and communicating scientific data after completing the course. This successful model serves as a guide for students participating in their first research experience and provides the skills for success in future science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education and careers. The curriculum presented here can be easily adapted for any research program, including undergraduate summer research experiences and graduate student laboratory rotations.
科学写作和表达能力的发展对于成功的科学事业是必要的。然而，这些技能通常不在中学或高等教育的科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）课程中教授，这导致高中生对大学准备的期望与成功完成大学学业所需的技能之间存在脱节。青年科学家计划暑期聚焦项目招募来自历史上处于边缘地位的高中生，参加在圣路易斯华盛顿大学为期 8 周的暑期实习。学生在华盛顿大学生物医学研究人员（研究生、博士后、实验室工作人员）的指导下进行实践生物医学研究项目。在这里，我们介绍一门伴随这一早期研究经验的科学传播课程的课程。该课程旨在通过每周讲座和主动学习方法相结合，加强学生的沟通技巧（批判性阅读、写作、演示和同行评审）。它为学生暑期实习的总结做好准备：撰写科学论文并在闭幕研讨会上展示他们的研究成果。我们对四个暑期聚焦小组进行了方案前和方案后的调查，以确定该课程是否达到了其学习目标。我们发现学生在阅读、解释和交流科学数据方面的自信心有了显著提高。因此，本课程为介绍对任何 STEM 职业都必不可少的科学素养和沟通技能提供了一个成功的模式。我们提供了课程结构和内容的详细大纲，以便将这种培训纳入任何本科和研究生研究项目中。出色的沟通技巧对于成功的科学事业至关重要。在这里，我们描述了一门专为参加暑期生物医学研究项目的高中生设计的科学传播课程的课程。该课程旨在提高他们的科学素养和沟通技巧。学生学习阅读和理解科学文献，撰写关于暑期研究项目的论文，展示他们的研究成果，并为同行提供反馈。我们发现，学生在完成课程后，在阅读、解释和交流科学数据方面的自信心有了显著提高。这种成功的模式为首次参与研究的学生提供了指导，并为未来的科学、技术、工程和数学教育和职业发展提供了成功所需的技能。这里呈现的课程可以轻松适应任何研究项目，包括本科生暑期研究经验和研究生实验室轮转。
