Submit your work to a special issue of The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning on Science Writing Across the Curriculum: Science Communication and Public Outreach, edited by Julia Kiernan.
At this moment in history, conversations around the publics’ distrust in science are more often the norm than the exception; while this distrust is not a new phenomenon, it is one that educators must work vigorously to combat. A primary purpose of this special issue is to argue that the most effective way to shift public attitudes is not to better educate the layperson on scientific topics, but to better prepare future scientists to engage with non-expert audiences. This issue positions that post-secondary programs across the curriculum need to rethink the work that novice scientists engage with inside the classroom in order to best prepare these student-scientists to transition into professionals that realize and uphold “scientific citizenship,” defined as the “open dialogue between science and citizens and transparency in information and knowledge exchange” (Alan Irwin, qtd. in Nerlich); unfortunately, the ability to have “open dialogue” is extraordinarily challenging when the two sides are unable to communicate effectively. This special issue solicits contributions that take up research, theory, and classroom practices involving expanded concepts of language, specifically in the area of science communication and public outreach. In this way, this special issue will offer a variety of replicable solutions across a number of post-secondary contexts, sharing out new and interdisciplinary strategies for teaching science communication—pedagogies that are notably absent in recent literature.
This special issue seeks contributions that focus on interdisciplinary strategies and pedagogies across undergraduate general education. Articles may be practical, research-oriented, theoretical, bibliographical, professional, and/or exploratory/personal; however, narrative and case study approaches that provide replicable pedagogical practices will be favored. Potential topics may consider (but are not limited to) the following: interdisciplinary/transdisciplinary collaboration; STEM/STEAM courses that value public audiences; narrative, storytelling, and trust; media, controversy, and mis/disinformation; diversity, equity, and inclusion inside/outside the classroom; multimodal approaches to science communication; rhetorical and deep listening; etc.
Deadlines
Proposals should be no more than 500 words, excluding Works Cited; final articles should be 5000 to 6000 words, including Works Cited. Inquiries and proposal submissions should be directed to the guest editor, Julia Kiernan, at jkiernan@ltu.edu.