By Mary Risley
Special to Intercom
One of the first things agronomy majors learn are the scientific terms to assist them in their chosen field. To them, "sclerotinia sclerotiorum macerated Glycine max grown under reduced photosynthetically active radiation" makes perfect sense.
But to the lay person, such terminology requires interpretation. Enter Barbara Pennypacker, associate professor of agronomy. This semester Pennypacker is teaching a group of graduate students how to speak to a non-scientific audience. She's instructing them in the art of translating their message so that the once-incomprehensible phrase above becomes: "The white mold fungus caused severe soft rot on soybeans grown in the shade."
Pennypacker knew from experience that, more often than not, her graduate students could not put the scientific knowledge they had learned into non-technical terms, so she developed a class to teach her scientists how to communicate, both in the scientific and the lay worlds.
"We, as scientists, have to ensure that the public understands the importance of our work," said Pennypacker. "If we can help the public understand our research, we can then expect them to support it."
To help students get their message across, three years ago Pennypacker developed "Effective Scientific Communication," a graduate course in the College of Agricultural Sciences.
To develop their communication skills, Pennypacker's students make six oral presentations in six different, but realistic, settings. One presentation is made at a simulated U.S. Senate Agricultural Committee hearing. The "senators" are actually faculty from various colleges who assume the roles of well-educated, but non-scientific, legislators. At the hearing, students must explain their thesis to the senators in non-technical terms and be prepared to answer questions.
According to Pennypacker, the presentations help students' self-esteem.
"The more realities a student is faced with, the more the student takes away from it," she said. "It is critical that the public understand scientific issues. But it is up to the scientists to provide the information they need to understand."
The most recent presentation students made was on Oct. 29, at simulated national meetings of the students' majors. For example, the American Society of Plant Physiology; American Society of Microbiology; Dairy Science Society; and the Soil Science Society of America. During these presentations, the students presented their ideas to "peers" in their own fields. These presentations give students the opportunity to speak in their own discipline. However, said Pennypacker, "they must still present their messages clearly."
Students' reactions to the class have been positive.
"It's has helped me elevate my communication skills to a higher level and increased my confidence as well," said Amy Bertin, a graduate student in dairy and animal science, who is taking the course this fall. "The confidence you build throughout the semester not only improves your performance in the course, but also translates into improved confidence in your career."
Joy Drohan, a graduate student in land and water research, said she believes the class should be required of nearly every science graduate student.
Through her lectures, Pennypacker shares with her students her own long and varied experiences with the successes and failures of public speaking. Throughout the course, she also stresses finding the humor in situations that might otherwise not be funny. For example, Pennypacker tells the story of the time her slide projector's bulb blew up in the middle of her presentation. Her laughing acceptance of the situation defused not only her tension, but the audience's as well.
The class also attended a mock press conference last week. Pennypacker's seven students were presenters at the press conference, while the "reporters" were students from the "Newswriting and Reporting" class in the College of Communications. This is the second year the agronomy and journalism students have held the press conference. Pennypacker said she likes the event because it goes "beyond play acting by involving another discipline."
The first time the press event was held students in both disciplines "broke several stereotypes." Before the press conference, her students believed that the media never get information correct, while the journalism students viewed scientists as incomprehensible. After the press conference, however, Pennypacker saw a change.
"Our students then think, 'If the press isn't writing the correct information, is it because we didn't present it well?'"
Communications instructor Beth Thompson said Pennypacker's course is exciting because it's collaborative learning across disciplines. Pennypacker's class is supported by the Schreyer Institute for Innovation and Learning.
"Students learn better and keep it longer in an enriched context," said Pennypacker. "What makes it work is the realism."
Pennypacker hopes to see her course open to all disciplines.
"This model could be implemented in other departments and/or other colleges."