Innovative teaching formats at the science-society interface

Background

There is an increasing awareness of the need for scientists to engage actively with society and produce knowledge that can inform societal decisions. Besides training researchers, another key channel for stronger engagement between science and society are teaching formats in which students learn to communicate to the public (e.g., through videos, podcasts, media posts, exhibitions, or service learning). Although innovative teaching formats for science-society dialogue are increasingly called for and even used, an overview and common understanding of best practices in the Swiss academic teaching landscape is lacking. Likewise, lecturers using innovative formats are not well-connected, which limits opportunities for experience exchange and learning.

Objectives

The goal of this project is to learn about and promote innovative teaching formats at the science-society interface. Our outreach activities aim for increasing the uptake of innovative teaching formats and improving their quality in Swiss Higher Education.

Activities

As a first step, we plan to take stock of existing innovative teaching formats at Higher Education Institutions in Switzerland at the science-society interface. We will then develop a typology of these formats and illustrate it with empirical examples. After laying this groundwork, we plan to organize a workshop on June 12, 2024 with lecturers who are already involved in innovative teaching at the science-society interface. The goal is to share experiences, network, and potentially develop future collaborations. In a third step, we plan to conduct a capacity-building workshop on September 12, 2024 with students and their lecturers who have been involved in innovative teaching formats and are producing outreach material for the public.