白小姐论坛

Content:
In this module we look at how we communicate specialist knowledge to non-expert audiences. Drawing theory from linguistics, multimodal communication, semiotics, sociology and philosophy, we attend to opportunities and possibilities arising in the sociocultural contexts of communication.

A key focus is on the presentation of knowledge to the public 鈥� examples include educationalists explaining matters of policy to the public, scientists explaining scientific concepts to non-expert audiences, and the effective curation of art exhibitions for public consumption. The module will contrast the communication of knowledge from STEM areas with those in the arts and humanities.

This module will support students in developing resources for communicating meaning effectively when adopting the role of mediators of specialist knowledge. The assessment for this module has two parts. First, the production and presentation of an artefact (e.g. video, blog) that communicates knowledge about any topic chosen by the student. Second, an essay which will critically discuss the communication resources chosen from the module in the making of the artefact.听

By developing their own artefact, the students will demonstrate their understanding of how something intrinsically complicated can be explained to people who are not trained specialists. In their critical reflective essay, the students will write about how in their roles as mediators of knowledge, they have transformed specialist knowledge to communicate it to non-expert audiences.

Teaching delivery:
The module is delivered through face-to-face lectures and seminars based at the IOE/白小姐论坛 and lasts for 10 weeks 鈥� with a one-week 鈥渞eading week鈥� break.
Lectures will include a talk, question time, and might include tasks. The seminars will focus on the discussion of the essential readings and involve practical tasks.

Indicative lecture topics 鈥� based on module content in 2023/24, subject to possible changes:
The content of this module entails the following six main topics delivered over ten weeks:

• Introduction to communication听
• Semiotics and multimodality听
• Mapping meanings听
• Pedagogic examples of communication听
• Communication in the Arts听
• Science communication

Module Aims:
This module aims to:

• Prepare students who are in the process of becoming experts/developing their specialisms to be able to research the possibilities and opportunities of communicating specialist knowledge to non-specialist audiences.
• Enhance students鈥� critical awareness of the issues surrounding the role of experts in society.
• Enable students to critically consider the necessary transformation(s) of expertise when it is communicated to non-expert audiences and what is at stake in such transformation in terms of the validity/communicability of such knowledge.
• Enable students鈥� critical assessment, and thus learning from the communication of specialist knowledge in different disciplines (including STEM areas, Arts and the Humanities).
• Enable students to develop an awareness of the metaphorical and semiotic content of expert knowledge and the significance of this for its communication to non-expert audiences.
• Enable students鈥� critical consideration of the notion of 鈥榢nowledge鈥� itself in the context of its reception.
• Encourage students to consider the nature of recontextualising strategies in the communication of expertise and to become critically aware of the challenges as well as the opportunities this may involve.
• Facilitate students鈥� development of a critical perspective on, and be in a position to begin to research, the communication of knowledge that is aligned with the particular issues surrounding the dissemination of fake-news and fake- claims to knowledge.听

Recommended readings:听
鈥楪ibson, W. (2020). Sensory communication in YouTube reviews: The interactional construction of products.鈥�Discourse & Communication,鈥�14(4), 383-403.鈥�听

Luz贸n, M.J. (2013) 鈥楶ublic Communication of Science in Blogs鈥�,鈥�Written Communication, 30(4), pp. 428鈥�457. Available at: .听

Morley, S. (2019a) 鈥楢nother guide to Modern Art (part of Introduction)鈥�, in鈥�Seven Keys to Modern Art London. London: Thames and Hudson. Pp. 9-15. Available at: .听

Additional costs:
There are no additional costs related to compulsory activities in the module.听听