General Information
| Course Code | AM_1334 |
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| Credits | 6 EC |
| Period | P2 |
| Course Level | 500 |
| Language of Tuition | English |
| Faculty | Faculty of Science |
| Course Coordinator | T.F.L. Roedema MSc |
| Examiner | T.F.L. Roedema MSc |
| Teaching Staff |
A.R. de Leeuw dr. ir. M.G. van der Meij P.E. van der Aar T.F.L. Roedema MSc |
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Part of programme(s)
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Practical Information
You need to register for this course yourself. The (de)registration deadlines can be found on VU.nl
| Teaching Methods | Seminar, Lecture |
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Target audiences
This course is also available as:
Course Objective
After completion of the course, the student is able to:
- Analyse and critically evaluate developments in the field of science journalism and science museology in relation to changing science–society relationships, digitalisation, public engagement, and the communication of wicked problems.
- Research and write a (popular) journalistic background article on a scientific or societal issue that is credible, accessible, attractive, newsworthy, and societally relevant for broader publics.
- Collaboratively conceptualise and create an immersive exhibit design, such as an installation, object, soundscape, or spatial intervention, that stimulates reflection and dialogue about a wicked problem.
- Engage in reflective science communication practice, by displaying reflective moderation skills to gain a deeper understanding of the effect of their developed products on the way in which citizens make sense of science.
- The student is able to collaboratively work in an interdisciplinary team by integrating different disciplinary perspectives, forms of knowledge and expertise, stakeholder perspectives, audience engagement, societal dimensions and course theories throughout the development of science communication and exhibition design products.
Course Content
Why do some people trust scientific expertise and happily engage with science-related content, while others reject it? How do exhibitions, podcasts, museum installations, or journalistic stories shape the way we understand urgent societal challenges such as climate change, artificial intelligence, pandemics, or inequality? And how can science communicators create experiences that do not simply “inform” audiences, but genuinely invite people to reflect, engage, and enter into dialogue about complex societal issues?
In a world increasingly shaped by an overload of (mis)information, polarisation, and uncertainty, the ability to communicate science in creative, critical, and socially meaningful ways has become more important than ever. This course combines perspectives from science journalism and science museology to explore how science can be translated into public stories, experiences, and conversations across different media and public spaces.
Throughout the course, students learn how communication formats (ranging from journalistic articles to immersive installations) shape how people encounter, interpret, and make sense of science and society. Particular attention is paid to so-called “wicked problems”: complex societal challenges characterised by uncertainty, conflicting values, and multiple stakeholders with different perspectives and desired solutions. Communicating such issues requires more than simply transmitting scientific facts: it also involves creating spaces in which audiences can navigate ambiguity, emotion, ethics, and conflicting viewpoints about (contested) science.
The course combines theoretical perspectives from science communication, media studies, journalism studies, science museology, and exhibition design, with hands-on creative practice. Students critically explore how media logics, storytelling, framing processes, and changes in the media and museum landscape (such as, digitalisation) shape public engagement with science and societal issues. At the same time, you will learn about museum communication, visitor experience, immersive storytelling, spatial design, and participatory exhibition practices, to examine how exhibitions can foster dialogue, reflection, and public engagement with complex societal challenges. You will use these insights to write a journalistic background article and create an (immersive) exhibition design.
The course includes a range of interactive workshops taught by professionals from the fields of science journalism and museology. Students will gain practical experience with storytelling techniques, interviewing, writing, visual and spatial communication, exhibition development, and moderation skills. As such, the course offers an excellent opportunity for students who wish to build a professional portfolio in science communication, journalism, museum practice, or creative public engagement.
Additional Information Teaching Methods
- (Interactive) Lectures: science journalism and science museology theory
- Skills Workshops: popular writing, exhibition design, moderation
- Workgroups: Apply theory and learned skills in a smaller setting towards the individual and group assignments.
- “Journal club” sessions: discuss literature
- Home study: individual and group assignments
- Reflective practice: track design choices in a reflexive manner to become a reflective science communication practitioner
Method of Assessment
Background article assignment (50%) - Individual assignment
(Product: 40%; Reflection and justification of design choices: 10%)
You individually research and write a journalistic background article on a scientific or societal topic of their choice. Through this assignment, you learn how to investigate complex issues, analyse stakeholder perspectives, conduct an interview, and translate scientific information into newsworthy, accessible and compelling narratives for broader publics.
You will reflect on your writing process and final product in reflective practice assignment, wherein you showcase your design choices and explore how your background article influences the way in which audiences make sense of science in the context of wicked problems.
Exhibition design assignment (50%) - Group assignment
(Product: 40%; Reflection and justification of design choices: 10%)
Building on your journalistic background article, you subsequently work in groups to identify overarching connections between your topics and combine them to showcase a wicked problem. Together, you synthesise your insights into a broader societal narrative that highlights the complexity and interconnectedness of the issue at stake. Based on this collective exploration, with your project group, you will design an immersive exhibition object or experience, intended to stimulate dialogue, reflection, and public engagement. Depending on the chosen concept, this may include the design of an interactive object, installation, soundscape, spatial intervention, or other experiential format.
You will reflect on your exhibition design by moderating a reflective dialogue around your immersive experience, wherein you showcase your design choices and explore how they influence the way in which audiences make sense of science in the context of wicked problems.
Entry Requirements
The course is open to all Master students with a Beta Bachelor’s degree. In addition, the course can be followed as an elective by students from other faculties who are interested in science communication, journalism, museology, or public engagement with science. Students from outside the Faculty of Science or from other universities should contact the course coordinator for formal approval before enrolment.
Literature
Announced on Canvas one month before the start of the course.
Additional Information Target Audience
The course is part of the Science, Society and Communication (SSC) Studypath, which offers interdisciplinary electives on science, communication, and society.
Because of its inter- and transdisciplinary nature and creative, practical assignments, the course invites students to step outside their comfort zone. You will need to interview experts, translating complex scientific research into accessible public stories, conduct an (informal) user research, and experiment with immersive exhibition formats. This can be both challenging and rewarding: requiring curiosity to different perspectives, openness, collaboration skills, and a willingness to creatively explore unfamiliar forms of communication as well as your own scientific discipline.
Additional Information
The course is taught in English. To enable students to build a portfolio in science communication, there is an option to hand-in the individual writing assignment in Dutch.
More information: t.f.l.roedema@vu.nl.
Use of Generative AI (GenAI)
This course follows the BETA Faculty policy on GenAI use. Use
GenAI responsibly and in line with the VU academic integrity policy and the VU recommendations on responsible use of GenAI.
Custom Course Registration
The course is taught in English. To enable students to build a portfolio in science communication, there is an option to hand-in the individual writing assignment in Dutch.
More information: t.f.l.roedema@vu.nl.
Recommended background knowledge
F., de Bakker, L., Dijkstra, A.M., and Jensen, E.A. (2020). Science communication, an introduction. World Scientific. Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6. Hardcopy ISBN 978-981-120-987-1.