LINGUISTICS 5700
Training in Science Education Outreach
Spring Semester 2013
3 credit hours
Wednesday 4–6 pm
388 Arps Hall
Instructor Info: Leslie C. Moore
Office 202b Arps Hall
Office hours Friday 3-4 and by appointment
Email: moore.1817@osu.edu
Course Description
This course provides hands-on training in language science outreach at the Center of
Science and Industry (COSI @ http://cosi.org/). Students will work at the Language Pod,
the COSI Lab in Life that is devoted to study of the science of language. Labs in Life is a
research-in-real-time exhibit located inside the Life exhibition at COSI
(http://www.cosi.org/exhibits/life). Students will learn about several ongoing research
projects within the exhibit and about critical background concepts from linguistics.
Students will learn about informal science learning and be trained in how to
communicate language sciences information to the COSI public, including child and adult
visitors. Students will spend a significant portion of their time at COSI actively engaged
in explaining the language research to visitors, conducting demonstrations about
language science, and assisting in recruitment for the research studies.
Learning Outcomes
This course has two intertwined sets of learning objectives, one set related to language
science, the other to informal science learning. Students will learn about informal science
learning and learn how to promote such learning in relation to language science.
Students will also deepen their understanding of language science through reading,
discussion, writing, hands-on engagement in language science outreach, and the
development of explanations (and, possibly, demonstrations) of language phenomena.
Students will learn how to communicate scientific information to a general audience, and
they will learn to explain a specific set of experiments centered on the study of language.
Pre-Requisites
All students must have permission of the instructor to enroll.
Course Materials
REQUIRED
Crystal, D. (2007). How Language Works: How Babies Babble, Words Change Meaning,
and Languages Live or Die. NY: Penguin/Avery.
Assorted articles (available on the Carmen site)
OPTIONAL
Agar, M.H. (1997). Language Shock: Understanding The Culture Of Conversation. NY:
Harper.
Bauer, L. & Trudgill, P. (1999). Language Myths. NY: Penguin.
Linguistics Department (2011). The Language Files. Columbus, OH: Ohio State
University Press. (This is the 11th edition, but older editions are fine)
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COURSE RESPONSIBILITIES & EVALUATION
This course requires a large time commitment and a willingness to take responsibility for
doing independent work. If you do not have the time or the interest to meet all of the
following requirements, please do NOT take this course. A critical component of this
course is the hands-on time at COSI. Some regularly scheduled class sessions will be
cancelled to accommodate some of the hands-on time. Students are expected to spend a
minimum of 2 hours at COSI for each cancelled class session. Also, some regularly
scheduled class sessions will be held at COSI. You are expected to attend all scheduled
classes as well as all your independently scheduled COSI hours. You will have some
control over when to schedule your COSI times and you are expected to choose times
that you can make. If you miss more than two class meetings or two COSI shifts you
may lose ALL of your attendance points.
Graduate students and undergraduate students who are repeating the course will confer
with the instructor about modification of the course responsibilities listed below to suit
their level of experience.
Class participation: Each student will be actively engaged during class meetings.
Actively engaged means being prepared, contributing to discussions & problem solving,
& supporting other people’s participation. Unexcused absences and/or a lack of informed
participation in class discussion will adversely affect your grade. If you must miss a
class, you are responsible for getting the notes and assignment information from Carmen
and your classmates.
Pod participation: Each student will be actively engaged in Pod-related activities during
his/her independently scheduled COSI hours. Unexcused absences and/or lack of
engagement during COSI hours will adversely affect your grade. Plan on working 4 hours
a week at COSI, more when a regularly scheduled class meeting is cancelled. See the
scheduling handout for full instructions about how to choose your hours and use the
hours tracking program.
Readings: All assigned readings are required. The required readings listed under a date
are to have been read before that class meeting. As you read, highlight, take notes,
summarize, look up new words or concepts, & come with questions for me and/or your
classmates. In short, engage with the readings & be well prepared to work with them in
class. We will use the readings in class, so bring them with you.
Writing assignments: You will respond in writing to prompts that are designed to
prepare you for class discussion and provide a low-stakes assessment of (1) your
understanding of the assigned readings and viewings, (2) your readiness to undertake
your Pod responsibilities, and (3) your growth as a facilitator of informal learning about
language science.
Pod journal: You will keep a written journal of your experiences at COSI. You will write
100-2000 words per shift. This activity is another way to track your growth as a
facilitator of informal language science learning, as well as a means for furthering that
growth through (critical) self-reflection. You will turn in your journal periodically during
the semester, as noted in the schedule.
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Oral presentations: Several of your COSI responsibilities involve talking with the
visitors at COSI, and you will do the following to develop and display skills in talking
about language science with a general public: (1) practice and perform in class a
recruitment, (2) practice and perform in class a demonstration, (3) develop and present
in class an explanation of a linguistic phenomenon1, and (4) put all of the above into
practice at the Pod. Each in-class presentation will be graded. Twice you will be observed
‘formally’ at COSI as you interact with visitors, and you will be graded on your
performance in the field.
Evaluation: For each assignment you will receive points. At the end of the course I will
assign letter grades, following the OSU standard scheme. OSU guidelines for grading
indicate that quality determinations are based upon a comparison with other students in
the course, &/or with students who have taken the course previously, &/or the
instructor’s expectations relative to the stated objectives of the course, based on the
instructor’s experience & expertise. Course responsibilities will be weighted in the
following way:
Class meeting participation
Pod participation
Writing assignments
Pod journal
Oral presentations in class
Oral presentations in Pod
10
15
30
10
15
20
100%
Grading:
The following grade pattern will be used:
B+
C+
87 – 89
77 – 79
A
B
C
D
E
93 – 100
83 – 86
73 – 76
60 - 69
below 60
ABC-
90 - 92
80 – 82
70 – 72
Technology: This course requires computer use and internet access. Some assignments
will require you to access websites and view videos on-line. I will post assignments,
readings, web sites, grades, & other information for the class on Carmen. If you have
questions for me that may be of interest to your classmates, I encourage you to post
them on the ‘Questions for Dr. Moore’ discussion forum. Some assignments will be
submitted via Carmen Dropbox, some in hard copy, none by email. To avoid being
junked, mark your e-mail ‘5700’ in the subject line.
ODS Statement: Any student who feels s/he may need and accommodation based on
the impact of a disability should contact the instructor privately to discuss specific needs.
The Office of Disability Services is relied upon for assistance in verifying the need for
accommodations and developing accommodation strategies. Please contact the ODS at
1
With prior approval from the instructor, students may work in pairs or small groups to develop
new demos or slideshows for the Pod.
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614-292-3307 (V) or 614-292-0901 (TDD), located in room 150 Pomerene Hall and on
the web at http://www.ods.ohio-state.edu/, to coordinate reasonable accommodations
for students with documented disabilities.
Academic Misconduct: The Ohio State University’s Code of Student Conduct (Section
3335-23-04) defines academic misconduct as: “Any activity that tends to compromise
the academic integrity of the University, or subvert the educational process.” Examples
of academic misconduct include (but are not limited to) plagiarism, collusion
(unauthorized collaboration), copying work of another student, possession of
unauthorized materials during an examination. Ignorance of the University’s Code of
Student Conduct is never considered and “excuse” for academic misconduct. If I suspect
that a student has committed academic misconduct in this course, I am obligated by
University Rules to report my suspicions to the Committee on Academic Misconduct. If
COAM determines that you have violated the University’s Code of Student Conduct, the
sanctions for the misconduct could included a failing grade in this course and suspension
or dismissal from the University. For additional information, see the Code of Student
Conduct (http://studentaffairs.osu.edu/info_for_students/csc.asp).
Grievances and Solving Problems: According to University Policies, available from the
Division of Student Affairs, if you have a problem with this class, you should seek to
resolve a grievance concerning a grade or academic practice by speaking first with the
professor. Then, if necessary, with the department chairperson, college dean, and
provost, in that order. Specific procedures are outlined in Faculty Rule 3335-7-23, which
is available from the Office of Student Life, 208 Ohio Union.
Statement on Diversity: The College of Education and Human Ecology affirms the
importance and value of diversity in the student body. Our programs and curricula reflect
our multicultural society and global economy and seek to provide opportunities for
students to learn more about persons who are different from them. Discrimination
against any individual based on protected status, which is defined as age, color,
disability, gender identity or expression, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual
orientation, or veteran status, is prohibited.
SCHEDULE & TOPICS (may be subject to change)
Week 1
Jan 9
Introduction to the course
What is language science outreach? Why be a part of it?
Overview of course objectives, organization, and requirements
Week 2
Jan 16
COSI on-boarding
Official orientation to COSI, with guest speaker Andy Aichele,
Director of Human Capital Development at COSI
READ: Osbourne 2012 – Science for citizenship
Teays 2012 – Out of the silence: the power of language
Crystal preface & chapters introducing language (1, 2, 3)
WA1: Reflection on readings
Week 3
Jan 23
Talking with COSI visitors
How do you talk with COSI visitors? Guest speaker Andy Aichele
READ: Bell et al 2009 – Learning science in informal
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environments: people, places, and pursuits
Oppenheimer 1976 – Everyone is you...or me
Crystal chapters on discourse (41-44)
WA2: COSI visit worksheet
CITI training & Conflict of Interest completion verification
Week 4
Jan 30
Informal (language) science learning
How does language science fit into informal science learning and
informal science institutions?
Review of language sciences concepts & topic areas in Pod
READ: LSA 2012 – Issues in linguistics, Lx in everyday life
Crystal chapters on spoken language
WA3: Explanation of 3 Crystal topics for COSI visitors
Week 5
Feb 6
Language Pod orientation / Eye-tracking research
** Meet at COSI **
Overview of demonstrations, studies, recruitment procedures
Eye-tracking and prosody research, with guest speaker Mike
Phelan, Linguistics
READ: Crystal chapters on language structure
WA4: Explanation of 3 Crystal topics for COSI visitors
Week 6
Feb 13
Sentence comprehension
Research on mental representations activated during sentence
comprehension, with guest speaker Dr. Nikole Huffman-Patson,
Psychology
READ: Huffman-Patson article TBA
WA5: Explanation of Huffman-Patson’s research for COSI visitors
** SELF-SCHEDULED HOURS BEGIN THIS WEEK **
Week 7
Feb 20
Ohio speaks, language scientists listen
Dialect research and outreach, with guest speaker Dr. Kathryn
Campbell-Kibler, Linguistics
READ: Campbell-Kibler 2012 – Contestation and enregisterment
in Ohio’s imagined dialects
Crystal chapters on dialects (45-51)
WA6: Explanation of Campbell-Kibler’s research for COSI visitors
Turn in Pod Journal, part I 
Week 8
Feb 27
Little Kids Space
** Meet at COSI **
Informal language science with little ones, with guest speaker
Amy Eisenmann, Director of Early Childhood Education Strategic
Initiatives at COSI
READ: TBA
WA7: TBA
Week 9
Mar 6
Language myths
Why do language myths matter? How can informal language
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science outreach make a difference?
READ:
Trudgill myth 1 – The meaning of words should not change
Carney myth 5 – English spelling is kattastroffik
Wolfram myth 13 – Black children are verbally deprived
Cheshire myth 14 – Double negatives are illogical
Preston myth 17 – They speak really bad English in…
WA8: Explanation of a language myth for COSI visitors
Turn in Pod Journal, part II 
Mar 11-15 Spring break
Week 10
Mar 20
Language Pod
Regularly scheduled class meeting cancelled  add 2 Pod hours
READ: Crystal chapters on written language
Falk & Storksdieck 2010 – Science learning in a leisure
Setting
Week 11
Mar 27
SLI / Visitor interaction
Specific language impairment research, with guest speaker Dr.
Stephen Petrill
How do visitors to ISIs interact with exhibits and each other?
READ: SLI reading TBA
Heath et al (2005) – Interaction and interactives:
collaboration and participation with computer-based
exhibits
WA9: Reflection on experiences with different demonstrations
Turn in Pod Journal, part III 
Week 12
April 3
Language Pod
Regularly scheduled class meeting cancelled  add 2 Pod hours
READ: Free choice
Week 13
Apr 10
Fieldtrips and informal learning
How do we make connections across formal & informal learning?
Guest speaker Kurt Huffman, Director of School & Community
Partnerships at COSI
READ: TBA
WA10: TBA
Week 14
Apr 17
Implications of informal language science learning
READ: Your Pod Journal
WA11: Meta-journal entry
Turn in Pod Journal, part IV 
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