Submission materials for new course
COM 400: Communicating Science and Technology
Course Rationale
Communication 400 will provide an innovative learning environment by pairing science and communication
students to accurately and effectively communicate the significance of scientific projects to the broader public
and targeted audiences.
Students in the Murrow Science Communication emphasis often lack the technical training to accurately
understand scientific findings. Likewise, students trained in various areas of science typically lack the
communication training required to meaningfully translate the significance of science and technology.
As a 2015 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center found, 87% of U.S. based scientists connected with
the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) found that agree with the statement
“Scientists should take an active role in public policy debates about issues related to science and technology.”
Just 13% of these scientists back the opposite statement: “Scientists should focus on establishing sound
scientific facts and stay out of public policy debates.”
Given this rising importance of the public communication of science, and drawing upon the core strengths of
our faculty in science, risk, and strategic communication, the College of Communication would like to offer a
course on communicating science and technology. COM 400 will provide training in strategic science and
technology communication as channeled through various digital and multi-media platforms.
Course Description
The course will teach both science/technology and communication student the skills necessary to communicate
scientific knowledge to non-scientists. Students will learn to write and speak about science in clear lay terms for
the general public, the media, policymakers, grant-making organizations and others. Skills will include:
Creating effective public presentations, working with reporters managing press conferences; communicating
science through digital and multi-media platforms; and maintaining an effective online presence to connect with
the public directly.
Purpose of this course
To prepare students to communicate the significance of scientific and technological topics to the public
generally and targeted audiences such as policymakers, Journalists, and grant funders, using communication and
multi-media production techniques.
Course audience
Majors in communication and the science and technological disciplines interested in translating complex
science topics to the public and targeted audiences.
Pre-requisites
Junior standing and certification in a major.
Duplication or Overlap with other courses
There is no significant duplication with any other course on campus. At the request of the 2014-2015 Faculty
Senate, Murrow faculty met with faculty from English in May 2015 to discuss potential concerns about either
duplication or overlap between COM 400 and ENGL 402. In that meeting we agreed:
(a) Our courses would de-conflict by keeping COM 400 focused primarily on communication and multimedia skills and English 402 remaining focused on technical writing within groups.
(b) Some duplication, especially given our disciplines, was unavoidable and that complete resolution is not
especially in the interest of the student body.
(c) English would provide (and did provide) a detailed list of course duplication issues they wished
resolved. Murrow faculty would (and have) addressed every item on that list (attached).
(d) Meeting the above conditions would resolve English’s contention on the Senate floor.
Course Time
The class will meet two times a week for 75 minutes each.
UCORE – COMM designation
Com 400 is perfectly suited to meet the COMM designation for WSU UCORE learning goals. The WSU
UCORE site outlines three required and two suggested criteria. COM 400 meets and exceeds each of these
criteria. These criteria and how COM 400 addresses each are listed below.
Required Criteria
Develop the student's understanding of the principles and elements of effective oral and/or mediated or
multimodal communication.
Students in COM 400 learn and apply skills for effective oral (see Entrepreneurial talk and press
conference), mediated (see infographic) and multimodal (see campaign) communication.
 Provide extensive applied practice in composing, creating, or expressing in two or more communication
modes.
Students in COM 400 go through a rigorous process of drafting, editing, finalizing, and integrating
multiple communication assets. This involves doing distinct work in written (see science synopsis and
policy synopsis), visual (infographic), visual (press conference and entrepreneurial talk) and then
integrating these various assets into a communication campaign.
 Have students self-evaluate and revise their work.
Students evaluate iteratively and in three distinct yet related ways. First, students will work on
assignments individually but will work in a consistent group of two, pairing a science / technological
student with a communication or social science student. We have piloted this pairing in the CEREO
Newsroom and backpack environmental programs, where advanced communication students are
embedded with a graduate student in the sciences. Second, students will conduct ‘mock’ sessions during
class time with two groups working together (totaling four students). This will enable the mixing of a
consistent and fresh editorial voice. Students will likewise have the opportunity to edit all smaller
assignments (science synopsis, policy synopsis and infographic, and their pitch for the entrepreneurial
talk) before these elements are incorporated into the capstone campaign project.

Suggested Criteria
Have students critique the work of peers.
Please see response above under “self-evaluate and revise their work.’
 Hone critical thinking skills through the exploration of rhetoric.
This suggested criteria is somewhat narrow in scope, focusing on rhetoric only. Com 400 will provide
exceptional and extensive training in communication skills associated with media discourse, visuals, and
spoken writing skills.

The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication
COM 400: Communicating Science and Technology
T & TH: 9:10-10:25, Goertzen Hall 21
Instructor:
####### #####
Office:
####### #####
Office Hours: ############
Phone:
335-####
Email:
########@wsu.edu
Materials & Resources
Laura Bowater and Kay Yeoman (2013). Science Communication: A Practical Guide for
Scientists (Wiley Blackwell)
Additional reading material listed in the course schedule.
Course overview
The course will teach students—from both communication and the scientific/technology
fields—skills to communicate scientific knowledge to non-scientists. Students will learn to
write and speak about science in clear lay terms for the general public, the media,
policymakers, grant-making organizations and others. Skills will include: Creating effective
public presentations, working with reporters managing press conferences; communicating
science through digital and multi-media platforms; and maintaining an effective online
presence to connect with the public directly.
Course Learning Goals
 Demonstrate knowledge of concepts relevant to communicating scientific /
technological information.
 Synthesize scientific / technological information through written and visual
communication skills.
 Integrate multimodal communication assets to reach the general public and specific
audiences.
UCORE COMM Requirements
Develop the student's understanding of the principles and elements of effective oral
and/or mediated or multimodal communication.
Students in COM 400 learn and apply skills for effective oral (see Entrepreneurial
talk and press conference), meditated (see infographic) and multimodal (see
campaign) communication.
 Provide extensive applied practice in composing, creating, or expressing in two or more
communication modes.
Students in COM 400 go through a rigorous process of drafting, editing, finalizing,
and integrating multiple communication assets. This involves doing distinct work in
written (see science synopsis and policy synopsis), visual (infographic), visual (press
conference and entrepreneurial talk) and then integrating these various assets into a
communication campaign.
 Have students self-evaluate and revise their work.
Students evaluate iteratively and in three distinct yet related ways. First, students will
paired to create a group with a science/communication group. Second, students will
conduct ‘mock’ sessions during class time with two groups working together

The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication
COM 400: Communicating Science and Technology
T & TH: 9:10-10:25, Goertzen Hall 21
(totaling four students). This enables mixing a consistent and fresh editorial voice.
Students will likewise have the opportunity to edit all smaller assignments (science
synopsis, policy synopsis and infographic, and their pitch for the entrepreneurial
talk) before these elements are incorporated into the capstone campaign.
Suggested Criteria
 Have students critique the work of peers.
Please see response above under “self-evaluate and revise their work.’
 Hone critical thinking skills through the exploration of rhetoric.
Com 400 will provide exceptional and extensive training in communication skills
associated with media discourse, visuals, and spoken writing skills.
SELECT UNIVERSITY POLICIES
Academic Integrity Statement
Cheating and academic misconduct are defined in WSU's Academic Integrity Policy, which
can be found in the WSU Student Handbook (WAC 504-26-202—Acts of Dishonesty and
WAC 504-26-010--Definitions). It is your responsibility to read and understand these
definitions. Lack of knowledge is not an excuse for academic misconduct. One of the
common violations is plagiarism, which is misappropriation of intellectual property without
giving due credit to the author. Instructors in the Murrow College use Turnitin
(www.turnitin.com), a software application that is specifically designed to detect plagiarism.
Please note that self-plagiarism is still plagiarism and everything you turn in for this
class should be created for this class, in this semester. That is, you cannot turn in a
paper you submitted in a prior attempt at this course, or in a different course. Anyone
who violates WSU’s Standards of Conduct for Students will be reported to the Office of
Student Affairs. When academic misconduct charges are brought against a student, she or
he no longer has the option of withdrawing from the class, and can be retroactively reenrolled in the class. Copying is a form of academic dishonesty and will not be tolerated.
Do not copy or allow others to steal or copy from your work. When two or more students are
found to turn in identical or overly similar work, all students will receive equal punishment.
If a student steals or copies your work against your will, you should report the incident
immediately to your instructor.
The minimum penalty for a violation of WSU's Standards of Conduct for Students is a zero
on the assignment or test without an option to make up the points lost. In addition, a full
letter-grade will be deducted from the final grade earned in the class. Penalty ranges from
this minimum to an F in the course. Instructors may consider mitigating circumstances and
have some latitude in assigning sanctions. In addition, the Office of Student Standards and
Accountability may impose other punishments, including expulsion from the University.
Reasonable Accommodation Syllabus Statement
Reasonable accommodations are available for students with a documented disability. If you
have a disability and need accommodations to fully participate in this class, please either
visit or call the Access Center (Washington Building 217; 509-335-3417) to schedule an
appointment with an Access Advisor. All accommodations MUST be approved through the
Access Center.
The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication
COM 400: Communicating Science and Technology
T & TH: 9:10-10:25, Goertzen Hall 21
Safety Statement
Washington State University is committed to enhancing the safety of the students, faculty,
staff, and visitors. It is highly recommended that you review the Campus Safety Plan
(http://safetyplan.wsu.edu/) and visit the Office of Emergency Management web site
(http://oem.wsu.edu/) for a comprehensive listing of university policies, procedures,
statistics, and information related to campus safety, emergency management, and the health
and welfare of the campus community.
First Week Class Attendance (Rule 72)
Students who do not attend class during the first week of the semester will likely be dropped
from the course. Students with extenuating circumstances should notify the Office of
Student Affairs.1 Valid reasons for missing class do not relieve the student of their
responsibility for that missed work.
Academic Regulations, Rule 34a
Students may only repeat a course graded C- or below one time at WSU during fall or spring
semesters. Additional repeats are allowed from another institution or at WSU during
summer terms or by special permission of the academic unit offering the course.
University Communication with Students
All official WSU email communication must be sent to students’ WSU email address.
Absolutely NO communication will be sent to external addresses (e.g., yahoo, gmail, and so
forth).
SELECT COLLEGE & COURSE POLICIES
Late/Missed Work
Late work is not accepted in this class. Tests and quizzes missed due to absence cannot be
made up. Do not ask for after-the-fact exceptions. Some consideration, however, might be
given (at the discretion of the instructor) if there is extenuating circumstances such as
prolonged hospitalization, family death, or extended individual sickness previously
discussed.
In cases of documented university conflict, you are responsible for making alternative
arrangements a minimum of two weeks in advance and responsibilities must be fulfilled
before the normally scheduled time.
Class Attendance
Attendance is both mandatory and critical to your success in this class.
Instructor-Student Interaction
In general, I will respond to emails from students within 24 hours (Monday—Friday). I also
hold the same expectation for students. As a courtesy and to ensure effective classroom
management, I will inform the class if my response will be greater than 24 hours for a
specific period of time. Please also let me know if you will be out of regular email contact.
1
The Office of Student Affairs can be found at http://www.studentaffairs.wsu.edu/.
The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication
COM 400: Communicating Science and Technology
T & TH: 9:10-10:25, Goertzen Hall 21
Academic Complaint Procedure
Students with concerns about instruction or grading should first discuss the issue with me. If
your concerns are not resolved, please contact Todd Norton, Chair of the Communication &
Society sequence, tmnorton@wsu.edu. If still unresolved, refer concerns to Jeff Peterson,
Director of Undergraduate Studies, The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication,
petersonjc@wsu.edu
Course Grading2
Content
Points
Distribution
Project I: Science Brief
50 points
A ≥ 93%
C- = 70-72%
Project II: Policy Brief
50 points
A- = 90-92%
D+ = 68-70%
Project III: Infographic
50 points
B+ = 88-89.9%
D = 60-67%
Project IV: Entrepreneurial Talk
50 points
B = 83-87%
F ≤ 59%
Project V: Project Campaign
100 points B- = 80-82%
Class Attendance
60 points
C+ = 78-79%
Class Participation
40 points
C = 73-77%
Total 400 points
COURSE ASSIGNMENTS/GRADED MATERIAL
Non-Assignment: Analytical Report (0 Points)
Individuals will identify a science project/experiment from their area of specialization. You
will not edit that report as part of this class. Rather, you will use that analytical report as the
basis for your assignments within this class.
Project I: Science brief (50 Points)
Individual students will craft 1-page brief on their area of scientific/technological specialty.
The challenge of this assignment is that it represents the complexity of the science and also
is understandable to a targeted wider-audience (e.g., policy makers or the general public).
Project II: Policy brief (50 Points)
Individual students will write a brief focused from the perspective of a targeted audience.
This is a companion to a science brief but from the perspective of the audience the scientist
is attempting to inform or persuade. The policy brief aims to answer and address the social,
political, economic, market, cultural, regulatory significance of your scientific /
technological area of research. (e.g., addressing the scientific complexities of phosphorus
and nitrogen pollution for a science brief needs to be accompanied by a brief about the
regulatory aspects of non-point source pollution for policymakers or recreational impacts for
homeowners.)
Project III: Science Infographic (50 Points)
Progress through each assignment listed in Course Schedule (below) and discussion of assignment
details listed in Assignments (below)
2
The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication
COM 400: Communicating Science and Technology
T & TH: 9:10-10:25, Goertzen Hall 21
Using both the science and policy briefs as formative text, individual students will develop
and refine an Infographic to synthesize the significance of their scientific/technological
research for a specified audience. The infographic development must address audience and
platform in mind – e.g., policymakers and scientific testimony; general public and twitter;
etc.
Project IV: Entrepreneurial Talk (50 Points)
Individual students will develop a 13-15 minute multi-media presentation to communicate
the significance of your scientific / technological problem to a broader audience. This
happens, or is more likely to happen, when problem and solution ideas are accessibly
presented to the audience in innovative and novel ways.
This is not ‘just a public presentation.’ Emphasis must be placed on the novelty and
innovative ideas synthesis of idea you are proposing, the translation of complex science in
ways that are accessible to the audience and tell a ‘compelling story’ about this issue in their
lives. This requires you to:
Have expertise in the subject matter you wish to present (and acquire any addition
expertise if you need it).
Develop an idea or ‘pitch’ to capture audience attention
Write a script for your ‘pitch’ beginning with an outline which note
Develop / assemble visuals to support the novelty and innovation of your idea
Project V: Project Campaign (100 points)
Individual students will choose a scientific / technological problem or product requiring a
description. This involves a prescriptive set of steps:
Identify communication objectives
Prior knowledge necessary to understand the process/problem
Description of process/problem
Synthesis of Innovation
Audience analysis
What does your audience know and not know?
What is your audience’s (or audiences’) position?
What do does your audience care about or disregard?
Develop communication assets and messages to accomplish objectives
Identify communication platforms (where does your audience interact?)
Evaluating information in digital and Social Media
Visual Design
Project VI: Mock Press Conference Presentation of Project III
Teams will present project III to the lay audience in a mock press conference. Teams that are
not presenting on a particular day will act as the media representatives and pose questions
about the science project/experiment. All teams will need to compose an audience and use
profile and submit it to the instructor.
The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication
COM 400: Communicating Science and Technology
T & TH: 9:10-10:25, Goertzen Hall 21
In addition to the five major projects, individual students are required to complete and bring
in four mini assignments for workshopping in class. You will submit these assignments to
the instructor at the end of class in hard copy. Each assignment carries 10 points.
Class Attendance (60 Points)
Students are assigned 2 points per class for a total of 60 points.
Class Participation (40 Points)
The instructor will assign each student up to 40 points for active participation in class.
Students will have two types of opportunities to earn participation points: through active
discussion in class and/or submitting a short (1/2) reaction paper to the week’s readings. In
general I want to encourage classroom interaction. However, students differ in how they
engage and material and learn. These two types of opportunities accommodates for that
variance.
T: Aug
25
The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication
COM 400: Communicating Science and Technology
T & TH: 9:10-10:25, Goertzen Hall 21
COURSE SCHEDULE34
Week 1
Introduction to the course: review of syllabus, course schedule, university and
classroom policies, course grading, courses graded material, et cetera.
In-class lecture topics: definition, features, and purposes of scientific communication;
audience and purpose analysis of documents; assessing the audience’s scientific
background; identifying the audience’s cultural background; anticipating audience
preferences; development of audience and use profile.
Neil deGrasse Tyson interview on Science Communication:
http://www.csicop.org/specialarticles/show/neil_degrasse_tyson__communicating_science/
TH: Aug
27
T: Sep 01
TH: Sep
03
T: Sep 08
TH: Sep
10
T: Sep
15
TH: Sep
17
T: Sep
22
TH: Sep
24
T: Sep
29
TH: Oct
01
Read chapter 1 of textbook “A Guide to Science Communication” and “Thanks for
the Facts. Now Sell Them” by Matthew Nisbet and Chris Mooney (PDF to be
provided)
Week 2
In-class peer workshop of Project I/Science Brief (first draft)
Project I due to Instructor
Introduction to Project II/Policy Brief
Week 3
Read chapter 3 of textbook “Encouraging Scientists to Communicate With the
Public” and chapter 6 “Getting Started With Public Science Communication”
In-class workshop on Policy Brief. How to prepare an audience profile. Workshop on
anticipating questions about your research or scientific project.
Week 4
In-class peer review of Policy Brief
Project II/Policy Brief due to Instructor
Introduction to Project III/ Science Infographic
Students carry samples of science infographics for in-class discussion.
Week 5
Read “Things To See and Do: How Scientific Images Work” for in-class discussion
(PDF copy to be provided)
In-class workshop on elements of successful science infographics
Week 6
In-class peer review of Science Infographic
Project III/Science Infographic due to Instructor
Introduction to Project IV/Entrepreneurial Talk
Read document on “Oral Presentations” (PDF to be provided)
The schedule and procedures outlines in this syllabus are subject to change in the event of
circumstances beyond the instructor’s control or in response to ongoing assessment of learning.
4 Please bring your textbook to class everyday
3
T: Oct
06
TH: Oct
08
T: Oct
13
TH: Oct
15
T: Oct
20
TH: Oct
22
T: Oct
27
TH: Oct
29
T: Nov
03
TH: Nov
05
T: Nov
10
TH: Nov
12
T: Nov
17
The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication
COM 400: Communicating Science and Technology
T & TH: 9:10-10:25, Goertzen Hall 21
Read chapter 6 of textbook “Getting Started With Public Science Communication”
Week 7
Read “Finding the Right Words: How to Shine in Radio and Television Interviews”
and “Developing Graphics”(PDF to be provided)
Read chapter 7 “Direct Public Communication” and chapter 8 “Indirect Public
Communication” of textbook.
Students carry samples of direct and indirect public communication to class for
workshop.
Week 8
In-class Workshop on Project IV/Entrepreneurial Talk
Sketching the elements of your talk (Developing an idea or ‘pitch’ to capture audience
attention; writing a script for your ‘pitch’; Assembling visuals)
Watch and discuss sample of a successful scientific TED talk
Students sign-up for Project IV presentations
Read “Presenting PowerPoint Science” and “Organizing PowerPoint Slides” (PDF to
be provided)
Peer review of Project IV/Entrepreneurial Talk
Week 9
In-class presentations of Project IV
In-class presentations of Project IV
Week 10
In-class presentations of Project IV
Introduction to Project V/Project Campaign (Identifying communication objectives;
Process/ problem descriptions; Audience analysis; Identifying communication platforms;
Visual Design)
Workshop on the above
Week 11
In-class workshop on sample Project Campaigns
Identifying successful strategies and pitfalls of sample campaigns
Project V due to Instructor
Introduction to Project VI/Mock Press Conferences
Week 12
Workshop on successful press conferences; avoiding pitfalls.
Revisiting Project III
Workshop on anticipating questions from the Press
Workshop on how to rank and communicate the important segments of Project III
Workshop on dealing with digressions and tangential questions
Week 13
Read “Covering Science and Technology: An Interview With Cornelia Dean” for inclass discussion (PDF to be provided)
TH: Nov
19
The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication
COM 400: Communicating Science and Technology
T & TH: 9:10-10:25, Goertzen Hall 21
Team formation and sign-up for mock press conferences
Workshop on preparing questions for press conferences; avoiding ‘dead-end
questions’
Workshop on Project VI/Mock Press Conferences
Week 14
T: Nov
24
TH: Nov
26
NO CLASS
Thanksgiving Vacation
NO CLASS
Thanksgiving Vacation
T: Dec
01
TH: Dec
03
Mock Press Conferences
Teammate Evaluations Due
Mock Press Conferences
Teammate Evaluations Due
Week 15
Week 16
T: Dec
08
TH: Dec
10
Mock Press Conferences
Teammate Evaluations Due
Mock Press Conferences
Teammate Evaluations Due
Last Day of Class