Coimbatore, Nov.22
Breaking the wall of Jericho between science and common man, a group of people from various fields came together for a two-day workshop and attempted to simplify science communication through games and other activities.
The participants went through a series of games that helped them use regular words to communicate a scientific phenomenon. In one of the games named Taboo, the participants were asked to explain a phenomenon without using some words that are regularly used.
“This would help them explain science in a simple language and avert complex scientific jargons that may not be understood by the common audience,” said Priyanka Iyer, Researcher at Zoo Outreach Organisation (ZOO).
In a similar activity, the audience were asked to read out and explain research papers using different dramatic situations. A debate was also held amongst participants to discuss the pros and cons of science communication.
Another activity involved participants read research papers and try and post a brief about it on social media (Facebook). They were later asked to check for responses and see how well they have been able to communicate the phenomenon.
They also reviewed news articles on science to know the hits and misses in that particular article and check if it had been comprehensively communicated.
‘Knowing the audience’ was one of the major aspects of the workshop and the participants were told to be very clear about who their audience were and also be clear with what they communicated.
Shiny Mariam Rehel, one of the participants, said that the workshop was helpful in understanding how to convert technical information into a lay-person friendly version.
“Such workshops help Science Communicators connect well with their audience and help make people scientific literates with so many complex global issues surrounding us,” said Obuli Chandran, another participant.
The organisers are also attempting to build a network to keep the group, comprising engineers, science communicators, wild life professionals and students, linked under a common platform. “The idea is to keep discussing various science happenings and learning to communicate science,” Priyanka Iyer said.
The workshop was held recently at the office of Zoo Outreach Organisation (ZOO) near Saravanampatti. While the workshop was organised by ZOO, sessions were handled by Devayani Khare, an experienced Science Communicator.
Breaking the wall of Jericho between science and common man, a group of people from various fields came together for a two-day workshop and attempted to simplify science communication through games and other activities.
The participants went through a series of games that helped them use regular words to communicate a scientific phenomenon. In one of the games named Taboo, the participants were asked to explain a phenomenon without using some words that are regularly used.
“This would help them explain science in a simple language and avert complex scientific jargons that may not be understood by the common audience,” said Priyanka Iyer, Researcher at Zoo Outreach Organisation (ZOO).
In a similar activity, the audience were asked to read out and explain research papers using different dramatic situations. A debate was also held amongst participants to discuss the pros and cons of science communication.
Another activity involved participants read research papers and try and post a brief about it on social media (Facebook). They were later asked to check for responses and see how well they have been able to communicate the phenomenon.
They also reviewed news articles on science to know the hits and misses in that particular article and check if it had been comprehensively communicated.
‘Knowing the audience’ was one of the major aspects of the workshop and the participants were told to be very clear about who their audience were and also be clear with what they communicated.
Shiny Mariam Rehel, one of the participants, said that the workshop was helpful in understanding how to convert technical information into a lay-person friendly version.
“Such workshops help Science Communicators connect well with their audience and help make people scientific literates with so many complex global issues surrounding us,” said Obuli Chandran, another participant.
The organisers are also attempting to build a network to keep the group, comprising engineers, science communicators, wild life professionals and students, linked under a common platform. “The idea is to keep discussing various science happenings and learning to communicate science,” Priyanka Iyer said.
The workshop was held recently at the office of Zoo Outreach Organisation (ZOO) near Saravanampatti. While the workshop was organised by ZOO, sessions were handled by Devayani Khare, an experienced Science Communicator.