U N I V E R S I T Y  O F  P I T T S B U R G H

ACIE (left to right) Trudy Bayer and Karen Curto Photo by Mike Drazdzinski, CIDDE

Speaking Like a Biologist

Science students report intermittently on their own research or primary research literature in an oral presentation format and are expected to demonstrate competence in using the language and vocabulary of their disciplines upon graduation. However, they often receive minimal, if any, instruction in oral communication. Three years of research by Trudy Bayer, director of the University of Pittsburgh’s Communication Lab, and Karen Curto, Biological Sciences, revealed that 77% of the senior biology majors enrolled in a required course on Writing (and Speaking) in the Biological Sciences (BioSci 1010), had never received instruction in public speaking or any kind of oral communication. These students, now required to search the primary bioscience literature on a current controversial issue in biological science and present their findings in both written and oral genres, initially reported severe self-perceived deficits in how to organize a scientific presentation, and high levels of anxiety about how to deliver it. Bayer and Curto developed instructional modules to address these issues and promote student confidence in using the language of biology. At the conclusion of the semester, students reported significant improvement in their self-perceived ability to organize and deliver a scientific presentation, greater understanding of the science problem that transferred to improved final written documents, and increased confidence in their ability to organize and present scientific research presentations in the future. BioSci 1010 instructors also reported a significant improvement in students’ oral presentations and overall course grades.

Bayer and Curto will use their Innovation in Education grant to develop Speaking Like a Biologist: Developing Instructional Communication Modules and Synchronous Presentation Feedback for Scientists , translating their previous research findings into a technological venue with additional and more immediate presentation feedback.

Using Mediasite , Bayer will record and upload two instructional modules on the construction and delivery of an oral presentation. These videos, based on workshops conducted by Bayer over the past three years, will employ examples and exercises gleaned from former student research questions furnished and edited by Curto. Following these modules, students will examine a simulated before (initial) and after (final) presentation—the “initial” presentation illustrating common pitfalls and obstacles to organization and delivery and the “final” presentation illustrating the applied solutions to these pitfalls and obstacles. After completing all of these modules, students will compose presentations employing the organizational and delivery principles and exercises demonstrated. These presentations will be digitally recorded and uploaded to Mediasite . This will allow instructors to provide text message feedback to (1) address “real time” problems in the talk and (2) link them to the principles developed in the oral instructional modules. These annotated presentations will then be uploaded and available online for students’ review, with the goal of revision prior to a final “polished” presentation. Thus, this innovation provides specialized communication instruction, more timely and precise presentation feedback, and replaces outmoded VHS taped recordings.

In the first year, approximately 20 biological science seniors will comprise the experimental group with an eventual goal to include all 120–160 biological science majors in this required course. However, the utility of this technology extends to other disciplines and, ultimately, Bayer and Curto anticipate that other instructors with student oral communication concerns will adapt this innovation into their courses.

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