Whether you are a member of the natural or human science community, if you are a PhD student, professor, part of an academic department or international research team, or self-employed and you wish to showcase your work to a wider audience then this is the perfect course for you. You will learn how to promote your work to professional peers, the general public, as well as the media.
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The free version (open to all enrollments) contains:
30 videos (4 and a half total hours) of high-quality lessons conducted by various experts.
Multiple embedded discussions, readings, and reflective tasks (4-5 hours) to further deepen your learning.
Several discussion forums where you can network and collaborate with fellow participants.
Participants who wish to obtain official Coursera certification for their training are invited to carry out and receive passing grades on three peer-reviewed assignments and two quizzes.
In this MOOC, we have been incredibly fortunate to gather a team of experienced professionals from scientific experts, to media specialists, to communication coaches, who frequently appear at conferences and on various face-to-face and online platforms. You will gain key takeaways that you can adapt to your own communication contexts. To further deepen your learning experience, you will collaborate with an international scientific community to reflect on and fine-tune your own skills in pitches, presentations, approach to question and answer sessions, networking, and speaking to the media.
What You Will Learn
- How to prepare a clear and concise professional pitch of your research domain and recent work that can be adapted to various audiences.
- Fine-tune key public speaking skills for presenting, answering questions, and networking during scientific and media events.
- Gain a sound understanding of the expectations of journalists when being interviewed by the press.
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Introduction to the Course
In this first introductory module, we will help you get acquainted with each other and the course objectives. We will also offer tips on how to get the most out of this course. These tasks are to be combined with the work you do in Week 1.
Structure your Ideas with Cécile Michaut
Welcome to the first week of this course entitled "Structure your Ideas." Cécile Michaut will be your communication coach for this week. Here is what you will be doing with Cécile: Identifying your No. 1 objective for promoting your research and your main message; adapting your message to a variety of audiences and contexts; knowing when and how to limit jargon; putting everything together in a short and concise pitch of your work.
WEEK 2
Enhance your Scientific Presentations with Bethany Cagnol
Welcome to Week 2 of the course entitled "Enhance your Scientific Presentations. Bethany Cagnol will be your coach for this week. One of the key features of this module is it can be adapted to presentations you give in front of your peers, but also the general public. In this module, you'll cover some presentation basics just to get you off on the right foot. Then, we'll cover some key language points that you should keep in mind. Next, Bethany will give you her top tips for online presentations as well as panel discussions. And finally, we'll end the module with a Case Study in which you'll study a 45mn video from the NASA's "Maniac" series given by the international climate expert and University of Georgia professor, Dr. J. Marshall Shepard, who gave us permission to use this video as an example of good scientific presentation skills. Finally, be sure to check out the Resources section of this course for some valuable take aways to use for your next scientific presentations. In the forum, let us know if those help you, or if you'd like us to add other resources.
WEEK 3
Answering challenging questions with Sinead Namur
In this module, we will be addressing Question and Answer sessions (a.k.a. Q & A sessions). You will have plenty of opportunities to self-reflect and study good and not-so-good examples in this highly unique, interactive module designed by your coach for this week, Sinead Namur. She will guide you through two hypothetical Q in A scenarii in which a professor, Dr. Johnson, is confronted with very tough questions from audience members. In these two scenarii, you will have the opportunity to reflect on what works and what doesn't. And at the end of the module, you will be given some key no fail advice and phrases that you can use, if and when you are faced with a tough Q&A session. TOP TIP: This could be quite an intensive week for you as almost every video has integrated self-reflective prompts. You can use the Note section to store your thoughts, but we suggest you keep a back up of all your notes on a separate document on your computer or notebook just in case. That way they are easy to find right when you need them.
WEEK 4
Networking with various experts with Bethany Cagnol
In this module, your coach, Bethany, covers the importance of networking in the sciences with both our peers and outside our professional contexts. A collection of experts agreed to offer their input and share their experience with you. First, Mary Ann Horn, a Mathematics professor at Case Western Reserve University and a Former NSF Program Director in Applied Mathematics, will offer advice on the importance of cross-disciplinary networking as well as how networking ties into applying for grants. Next, we'll hear from Armelle Rancillac, a research fellow in neurobiology at the prestigious Collège de France and INSERM. She will speak about networking at public outreach events and on social media. Then, we'll hear from Mahasti Saghatchian, a medical oncologist and Vice President of the medical board at the American Hospital of Paris. She will stress the importance and benefits of networking on social media for the medial industry and patients. And finally, the president of Télécom Paris, Nicolas Glady, will offer his advice on networking in Academic and Corporate Contexts and what researchers should keep in mind when reaching out to business angels.
WEEK 5
Interacting with the Press with various experts
In this course's final module, Cecile Michaut is back as your coach and she's gathered an all-star team of experts to help you communicate with the media. First, you'll hear from Frédéric Restagno, a CNRS professor of physics, on his first-hand experience on what it's like to work on television. Then, Cécile will offer key tips to get you started on your journey with the written press and web publications. Next, journalist Catherine de Coppet will offer learners no-fail advice for interviewing on the radio and how you can set the foundation for getting invited back again and again. Then, Audrey Mikaëlian will cover the realities of television appearances whether they be for pre-recorded or live interviews. Cécile will then sum up the module with essential advice on building a sustainable relationship with the media. And be sure to check out Bethany's "Last Word" of the course on what you can do with your newly developed skills.
