3 ECTS credits
90 h study time
Offer 1 with catalog number 1020467BNR for all students in the 1st and 2nd semester at a (B) Bachelor - advanced level.
This course consists of a part on science communication and of a series of medical seminars.
The part on science communication first gives an overview of existing forms of science communication (lectures, HOC). The ones most relevant to the students are focused on through case studies and practical exercises (WEC/PRA).
Visual aspects of communication, oral communication, speech techniques, written communication as well as textual communication supporting oral communication will be dealt with.
In designing this course, the skills required to write articles and a thesis, and to give a scientific presentation in the field of the Biomedical Sciences were taken into account. Students get pointers on the use of apposite scientific English through the use of textbooks and texts available on PointCarré. This also entails the responsible use of scientific texts, viz. referencing, citing and the use of footnotes. Excellent cases of science communication will be discussed as good examples. The line between fair use and misuse will be discussed, covering the principles of research ethics, definitions and awareness of plagiarism and other forms of fraud. Students practice their presentation skills during practicals and get feedback in the form of suggested points for improvement.
The medical seminars host around twenty (inter)national guest speakers giving 45-minutepresentations (in English) on biomedical topics, in which research is a key (but not the exclusive) element. The speakers are experts in their field and all hold PhD’s. The course coordinator will be present at all times. Students are encouraged to contribute actively to these lectures and to ask questions after the talk (15 minutes). Students write reports (in Dutch) on two of the presentations (cf. information on assessment). Every year, a number of selected seminars are meant to link up closely with the course content, giving students a solid preparation to actively take part in the seminars.
Please note: This course unit was first offered in 2013-2014.
Compulsory attendance of at least two thirds (66%) of the medical seminars in the second semester is required. Students must indicate their attendance on the seminar calendar they hand in with their reports. During some seminars, attendance lists will be passed around in the lecture theatre.
An textbook in English is available for those interested:
Title: Scientific Papers and Presentations (revised edition, 2005)
Author: Martha Davis
Publisher: Elsevier Academic Press, 84 Theobald’s Road, London WC1X 8RR, UK
ISBN: 0-12-088424-0
Several copies of this book are available in the Medical Library.
Supplementary study material:
Lecture notes. Written instructions for the seminar reports will be posted on PointCarré.
By the end of this course unit, students will be familiar with the key characteristics of a scientific text and its oral and written presentation. Students know the various strategies and techniques to create materials supporting communication. Students have developed the skills required to enhance communicating with visuals created with PowerPoint. They have sufficient oral skills to give presentations. They understand research ethics and know what is allowed in science communication and what is meant by scientific misconduct.
The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Other Exam determines 100% of the final mark.
Within the Other Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:
For the part on science communication, students select a topic (research articles) in pairs from the list of seminars. Students may choose to either develop this topic into a poster presentation or a dissemination assignment (including a presentation) geared towards an audience of their choice. Either assignment will be presented to the coordinator and peers and will be discussed in terms of content and form features dealt with in class. Students get 10 minutes per presentation. The course coordinator consults with the students to decide who will do which assignment.
Poster/text and presentation are two separate written parts in the same language. The visuals must be made entirely independently. (5 hours PRA, 2 hours SELF). Any use of existing material must be properly credited. The main language used will be Dutch, but students are allowed/encouraged to use English for both texts. Coherence of the poster/text in terms of content and structure will be assessed, regardless of the language used. The assignments will be peer-assessed and assessed by the course coordinator (40% of final mark).
For the assessment of the medical seminars, students first of all indicate the seminars they attended. Next, they select two presentations to write individual reports on them in Dutch. These reports should be no longer than one (A4) page and gives a short summary as well as a short analysis of the presentation as a token of science communication, appraising the didactic quality of the presentation, including any visuals used. Both reports count towards 30% of the final mark.
The final mark is the sum of the presentation marks (40%) and the two seminar reports (30%+30%).
This offer is part of the following study plans:
Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences: Abridged BMLT (only offered in Dutch)