Writing 159: Scientific Literacy

Course Syllabus

 

Course Designator: Writing 159 (Scientific Literacy)
Instructor: Norman Douglas ("Doug") Bradley
Meeting Days-Times / Enrollment Code: TR 11:00–12:15, #52472, HSSB 1211
Term: Winter Quarter, 2019 (08 January – 14 March 2019)
Instructor Office: South Hall 1523
Office Hours: Wednesdays, 9:00 – 12:00, and by appointment.
Cell phone: 805-680-2333
Email: doug@dougbradley.net
Faculty mailbox: If you would like to drop off an assignment, simply slide it beneath my office door (South Hall 1523). Weekdays during business hours, you may also leave assignments in my faculty mailbox in South Hall 3421. Weekends and after-hours, please use the blue drop box outside of South Hall 3421; be certain to clearly print your name, my name, and "Writing Program" on your assignment, as the dropbox is shared by five departments.

 

Do you have a physical or mental disability?

If you have a disability and would like to discuss special academic accommodations, please contact me as soon as possible. To apply for DSP services, see: http://dsp.sa.ucsb.edu/general-information/applying.

 

Course Readings and Viewings

Readings and viewings are accessible electronically on this website via the Readings/Viewings link. They require a user name and password. To accord with US federal copyright laws and educational exemptions, do not share or distribute copyrighted materials!

 

A Writer's Reference, Diana Hacker, ISBN: 0-312-45025-7 (spiral bound version, available in both new and used versions at the UCSB Bookstore)

 

Assignments

Ten (10) separate assignments will be completed to demonstrate mastery of basic skills essential to the successful communication of scientific ideas:

 

• Assignment #0: Set up an electronic portfolio

  Assignment #1: Select a STEM subject matter area
  Assignment #2: APT-analyze scientific content
  Assignment #3: Analytic summary of a peer-reviewed IMRAD article
  Assignment #4: Design metaphors, analogies, and a scaling schema
  Assignment #5: Communicate a scientific concept to a special-needs learner
  Assignment #6: Design and render an infographic
  Assignment #7: Design and render a scientific illustration

  Assignment #8: Design and render a presentation of quantitative data

  Assignment #9: Transcribe or podcast an interview

 

Electronic Portfolio

Each student will build an online, electronic portfolio to showcase the work they do in Writing 159A; this portfolio will carry over to Writing 159B in the Spring quarter. Guidelines for the portfolio are provided on the Help page. The final portfolio will include all revised, polished versions of Assignments #0–9, due on the final day of the quarter.

 

Attendance and Punctuality

You are required to attend all course classes and arrive prepared. As a courtesy to others in the classroom, please arrive on time at the start of each instruction period. You are responsible for obtaining all missed handouts and assignments.

 

Emergencies

If you experience or anticipate any emergency during the term bearing upon your course work or attendance in Writing 159, email me as soon as possible. In lieu of contacting me directly, you may also leave a phone message with the Writing Program office, located in South Hall 3431 (805.893.7488).

 

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the copying of a part or whole of another person's work while representing the work as your own; it is an extremely serious academic offense. Avoid plagiarism by properly citing the sources of ideas, text and graphics used in your work. Students caught plagiarizing will receive an "F" grade in Writing 159 and be dropped from the course. Period....no exceptions! Regarding policies related to academic integrity, see the Office of Judicial Affairs.

 

Participation

Writing 159 involves a good deal of reading and class discussion. To get the maximum benefit from our class discussions, we must all read the assigned materials beforehand. (Don't assume that someone else will do the readings for you and "keep things interesting" during discussions.) Stay prepared to introduce your own ideas to the class as well as listen and respond courteously to others.

 

Assignments

There will be a number of assignments in Writing 159 covering various science communication principles and practices. These are individual assignments that every student is expected to complete; all will involve the input and support of classmates and colleagues.

 

Grading

Students enrolled in Writing 159 are evaluated according to the rubric below.

 

Assignment	% Course Grade
Assignments #0–9	75
Final presentation of electronic portfolio	10
Classroom Participation (includes attendance, classroom discussions and exercises, and peer review work)	15

 

Key student objectives and outcomes

• Develop skills and strategies to effectively communicate scientific concepts to target audiences via writing, graphics, and quantitative information.
• Analyze and characterize target audiences (e.g., lay, professional, expert) and understand the needs/wants of each audience relative to purpose, tone, and context of scientific messages.
• Evaluate the rigor of scientific claims, recognize and characterize cognitive barriers, and develop communications strategies that address common misunderstandings and misinterpretations of scientific ideas.
• Identify key message(s) to be communicated relative to an overall objective (e.g., education, journalism, entertainment, persuasive argumentation, progress reporting, evaluation, interpretation, etc.).
• Communicate complex scientific concepts to non-expert audiences via analogies and metaphors.
• Locate scientific problems within a discipline and/or the prior art, identify relevance to associated fields of study, and evaluate lines of inquiry.