This paper is taught through extended lecture/tutorial sessions. It also has a Moodle page (http://elearn.waikato.ac.nz) where you will be able to access pdfs of lecture notes and powerpoints, lecture recordings, and assessment materials. There are also discussion forums where you can both ask and answer questions. Not all material is covered in the in-person sessions; there is material (e.g. reading, videos) to cover out of class that is delivered via Moodle.

(a) The internal assessment/examination ratio is 1:0.

(b) Assessment components:

Items 1-3. Social media posts. Students will use Moodle to post brief but valuable comments on three science stories; one story in each of the first three weeks of the paper. (10%, individually assessed).

Item 4. Audio commentary on a science experiment – Communicating quality information using spoken word. Students will provide an engaging 3 minute audio commentary of a science experiment they have done as part of their degree study. 20%. Individually assessed.

Item 5. Video on "in the news now" topic - communicating topical information. Students will produce a short video (around 1-2 minutes in length) on a topical science story. 20%. Can be individual or as a pair.

Item 6. Poster presentations - Students will consider an example of scientific risk, and present it in the form of a scientific poster. (20%, individually assessed).

Item 7: Writing - students will prepare a piece of scientific writing on a science topic of their choosing, suitable for 'The Conversation' or other similar media outlets. (15%, individually assessed).

Item 8. Oral Presentation - Students will give a short (4 minute) oral presentation to the class in the final day's session, on a science topic of the student's choosing. The topic should have a numerical/statistical element to it that allows the student to demonstrate presentation of number-intensive data in a meaningful way. (15%, individually assessed).

(c) Assessments are normally due in at 9 am Mondays. This allows the lecturer to mark them (or most of them) and get feedback to the class before the next session on a Tuesday.

(d) More detail on what is required is given in the assignment descriptions on Moodle.

The total workload expected for this paper is 150 hours. There are 25 hours of contact time scheduled for lectures and tutorials. There is also further reading required out of the in-class sessions. The remaining hours are to be managed by the student to complete the assessment items. There is one or more significant assessment item due each week and a significant amount of time should be devoted to out-of-class study. Students are expected to attend all sessions.

This paper provides a valuable experience for undergraduate science students who intend to enter the workforce after completion of their undergraduate qualification. The skills learnt in this paper are of particular relevance to jobs that require communication of scientific concepts, data and information to others who do not have a strong science background.