SciComm: An Oral Communication Professional Development Program for STEM Graduate Students

Amy M. Clobes; Lindsay Wheeler

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Conference: 2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Tampa, Florida
Publication Date: June 15, 2019
Start Date: June 15, 2019
End Date: June 19, 2019
Conference Session: Graduate Student Writing and Communication
Tagged Division: Graduate Studies
Page Count: 26
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--33253
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/33253
Download Count: 486

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Paper Authors

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Amy M. Clobes University of Virginia orcid.org/0000-0001-7095-270X

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Dr. Amy M. Clobes is committed to supporting current and future graduate students as Assistant Director of Graduate Education for the University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science. In her current role, Dr. Clobes collaborates to support existing programs and develops new initiatives in graduate student recruitment, training, education, and career and professional development. Dr. Clobes holds a B.S. in Biology from the University of Michigan and Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Virginia. Her combined experience in STEM research and education, program development, and student advising are key to her dedication and success in creating opportunities for graduate students to achieve their education and career goals.

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Lindsay Wheeler University of Virginia

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Dr. Lindsay Wheeler is Assistant Director of STEM Education Initiatives and Assistant Professor in the Center for Teaching Excellence at the University of Virginia. Dr. Wheeler develops and implements educational development programs and courses to support teaching and learning in science, engineering and mathematics departments across the university. She works with both faculty and teaching assistants (TAs) in STEM disciplines to support effective integration of research-based practices into their teaching. She also seeks to increase collaboration of faculty, staff, and administrators across departments and schools to help improve the diversity and preparedness of students majoring STEM.

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Abstract

Now, more than ever, is a time when scientists and engineers must be able to create a factual and compelling account of their research. How can STEM graduate students learn to communicate complex information to a variety of audiences in a concise way? An NSF-funded STEM oral communication program, called “SciComm”, was developed and implemented at a large public institution to meet this professional development need for STEM graduate students.

The SciComm program engaged a cohort of 28 STEM graduate students in bi-weekly seminar meetings during the 2017-2018 academic year. The program goals were twofold: First, to equip students with the training and experience to effectively and confidently communicate their research with a variety of audiences that a STEM professional may encounter. Second, to develop or deepen students’ understanding of the diverse set of future career opportunities available to STEM PhD holders. To accomplish these goals, the program was designed with three components: 1) hands-on training seminars, 2) communication challenges putting the training into practice on video and for audiences reflective of the professions discussed in the program, and 3) mentorship by a non-program institutional STEM alumnus/a.

This paper will present the program design and research results from the first year. Using a mixed methods approach, we sought to examine the extent to which graduate students’ perceptions of communication confidence and awareness of STEM career opportunities improved over the course of the program. We also aimed to measure their communication skills to different audiences and obtain feedback on the most impactful program components. Data included pre/post-surveys, focus groups, and program artifacts (e.g., reflections, videos). Quantitative data were analyzed using paired t-tests, and qualitative data were analyzed using a constant comparative approach. Results demonstrate that graduate students became more confident in their ability to communicate scientific research and significantly improved their understanding of non-industry related careers. Graduate students found the mentor interactions, creation of communication videos, and interdisciplinary of the program as the most helpful components. These results suggest that the SciComm program successfully met its goals, and points to additional program benefits that participating graduate students recognized beyond the stated learning outcomes. In our paper, we will share our research results as well as suggestions for communication program implementation at other universities.

Citation
Format

Clobes, A. M., & Wheeler, L. (2019, June), SciComm: An Oral Communication Professional Development Program for STEM Graduate Students Paper presented at 2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Tampa, Florida. 10.18260/1-2--33253

TY - CPAPER
AB - Now, more than ever, is a time when scientists and engineers must be able to create a factual and compelling account of their research. How can STEM graduate students learn to communicate complex information to a variety of audiences in a concise way? An NSF-funded STEM oral communication program, called “SciComm”, was developed and implemented at a large public institution to meet this professional development need for STEM graduate students.

The SciComm program engaged a cohort of 28 STEM graduate students in bi-weekly seminar meetings during the 2017-2018 academic year. The program goals were twofold: First, to equip students with the training and experience to effectively and confidently communicate their research with a variety of audiences that a STEM professional may encounter. Second, to develop or deepen students’ understanding of the diverse set of future career opportunities available to STEM PhD holders. To accomplish these goals, the program was designed with three components: 1) hands-on training seminars, 2) communication challenges putting the training into practice on video and for audiences reflective of the professions discussed in the program, and 3) mentorship by a non-program institutional STEM alumnus/a.

This paper will present the program design and research results from the first year. Using a mixed methods approach, we sought to examine the extent to which graduate students’ perceptions of communication confidence and awareness of STEM career opportunities improved over the course of the program. We also aimed to measure their communication skills to different audiences and obtain feedback on the most impactful program components. Data included pre/post-surveys, focus groups, and program artifacts (e.g., reflections, videos). Quantitative data were analyzed using paired t-tests, and qualitative data were analyzed using a constant comparative approach. Results demonstrate that graduate students became more confident in their ability to communicate scientific research and significantly improved their understanding of non-industry related careers. Graduate students found the mentor interactions, creation of communication videos, and interdisciplinary of the program as the most helpful components. These results suggest that the SciComm program successfully met its goals, and points to additional program benefits that participating graduate students recognized beyond the stated learning outcomes. In our paper, we will share our research results as well as suggestions for communication program implementation at other universities.

AU - Amy M. Clobes
AU - Lindsay Wheeler
CY - Tampa, Florida
DA - 2019/06/15
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - SciComm: An Oral Communication Professional Development Program for STEM Graduate Students
UR - https://peer.asee.org/33253
DO - 10.18260/1-2--33253
ER -