Science Communication Assignment#

As used during the Dynamical Oceanography 2023/24 course at Utrecht University

Assignment description#

You will write a popular scientific article about the virtual expedition.
- This is an individual assignment.
- The length of the article should be between 400 and 700 words.
- The audience of your science communication article are Physics BSc students.
- You need to include and refer to the findings/results of at least two scientific articles as background.
- For examples of the style you could use, check out this article (although at almost 3,000 words that article is way longer than expected here), or this article.
- You are allowed to use Generative AI to create photos of the expedition (but only for photos; no other uses of Generative AI are allowed!)
Submit a first draft of the article to Blackboard by 27 March 17:00.
Every student will provide formative feedback for two other articles. Deadline is 2 April 17:00. This formative feedback will be graded and will count 25% of the mark for this assignment.
You will incorporate the formative feedback where appropriate into a final version of the article and submit that as a pdf on Blackboard by 5 April.
The articles will be graded by the lecturer and the Teaching Assistants

Rubric	What is extra?	Sufficient	What is missing?
Introduction to the region		The physical oceanography of the region is clearly explained.
Research motivation		The motivation to do an expedition in this region is clearly articulated.
Explanation of scientific papers		The results of two scientific papers are described and incorporated in the text.
Factual correctness		The scientific claims and information presented are accurate and supported by evidence.
Effect		The goal/aim of the text is clear. The article contributes meaningfully to the reader’s understanding of the topic.
Use of visuals		At least one visual (image, graph, or diagram) is present. It is used effectively to enhance understanding and engagement.
Emotion/ personalization		The text has a clear main character and includes reference to (personal) emotions.
Narrative structure		The narrative structure is such that readers are enticed to read to the end of the text.
Suitability for the audience		The text is understandable for the audience, while also not being too simplistic.
Writing style		The text is within the word limits, and has few spelling and grammatical errors.

Rubric	What is extra?	Sufficient	What is missing?
Constructive criticism		The peer feedback includes some critical reflections, and these are constructively phrased
Focused on the content		The peer feedback focuses on the writing, not the writer
Specific		The peer feedback points to specific places where the draft can be improved
Prioritized comments		The peer feedback is an ordered list with the most important comments at the top
Considerate and thoughtful		The peer feedback is kind and does not jeopardize social safety (i.e. not ‘ad hominin’)