Culture and Science Laboratory

Code:

MECC024

Acronym:

LCC

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Social Science

Instance: 2020/2021 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Communication and Information Sciences
Course/CS Responsible:	Master in Communication Sciences

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MECC	9	MECC - Study Plan	1	-	12	78	324

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

1. Get hands-on experience communicating a chosen ‘science topic’ to a lay audience (through a variety of fully developed written stories and visual digital media projects).


2. Make better-informed and critically-aware judgments about choices of language, visuals and media in telling non-fiction stories in a variety of formats


3. Understand the theoretical concepts behind public reception, and have the tools to implement evidence-based narrative persuasion ethically


4.  Developing skills in planning, developing and appraising strategies in communicating 

Learning outcomes and competences

To enable the students to deal critically with topics related to this curricular unit and to do works and/or developping projects with the rigor required at this level.

Working method

Presencial

Program

Several examples of communication in the areas of science will be examined, from the more traditional (catalogues, flyers, etc.) to those involved with video and digital audio, development of content for the web. Each case study is analysed in the light of communication sciences, so as to develop digital technology solutions.
In-class storytelling exercises and creative assignments will reinforce the basic elements of digital writing/storytelling, including story idea creation, finding sources, interviewing digitally, pitching stories, using social media to tell and distribute stories, data visualization, and ethical issues surrounding digital storytelling.

Mandatory literature

Berger, John 070; Modos de ver
Chittenden, D. (ed.); Creating Connections, Museums and the Public Understanding of Current Research, Alta Mira Press, 2004
Dunwoody, S. and M. Ryan; Scientific barriers to the popularization of science in the mass media, Journal of Communication 35:26-42, 1985
Gregory, J. and S. Miller; Science in public: Communication, culture and credibility, Plenum, 1998
Jenkins, H.; Cultura da convergência, 2ª ed., São Paulo: Aleph, 2008
Kalay, Y. E.; Kvan, Th.; Affleck, J. (eds); New Heritage. New Media and Cultural Heritage, Routledge, 2008
Mirzoeff, Nicholas; An^ introduction to visual culture. ISBN: 978-0-415-32759-6
Rabinovitz, L. and A. Geil (eds); Memory Bytes: History, Technology, and Digital Culture, Duke University Press, 2004
Rayner, Philip; Media studies. ISBN: 0-415-29173-9
Weigold, M. F.; Communicating science: A review of the literature, Science Communication 23 (2): 164-93, 2001

Comments from the literature

Complementary bibliography will be indicated during the seminars.

Teaching methods and learning activities

Expository and interactive, using audiovisual resources, with the presentation of projects by students on the programme’s topics.

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Defesa pública de dissertação, de relatório de projeto ou estágio, ou de tese	0,00
Participação presencial	30,00
Trabalho escrito	70,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Elaboração de projeto	100,00
Estudo autónomo	70,00
Trabalho de investigação	70,00
Total:	240,00

Eligibility for exams

Mandatory 75% class attendance, unless established otherwise by law, or in FLUP regulations.

Calculation formula of final grade

Participation in classes= 30% Producing and presenting projects in class = 70%

Examinations or Special Assignments

Failure to attend in 75% of classes, in the cases established by law, may require an oral discussion of the assessment items presented, which will be indicated by the lecturer by the end of the relevant teaching period, with a written exam to be taken on the subject content.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

As established in the FLUP Assessment Regulations.

Classification improvement

As established in the FLUP Assessment Regulations.