Effective science communication is a very powerful and undervalued skill. It is important that the research that we undertake as scientists can be communicated well in multiple formats, not only to our peers, but also to non-specialist scientists, managers and general public. It can be difficult to ensure that a wide variety of individuals understand the ramifications of our research and why we do what we do. This is especially true when the results or implications of your research require individuals to change their lifestyle, impact on them financially, and/or challenge their entrenched beliefs. It is usual, therefore, for conservation strategies to create conflict, which can have both local and global implications.

In this Assessment Task you will choose one of the selected videos, which highlight conservation and management issues. Only one student can assess and present a particular video. Whilst on Heron Island you will be required to give a 10 minute presentation on the topic of your video and then respond to questions from your peers (5 minutes). Note that you are not providing a summary of the video itself but presenting the major issues, solutions, and broader implications of each video by sourcing from the primary literature. You may use PowerPoint but no props please. As the field trip will be very busy it is expected that you will have your presentation in final format prior to leaving for Heron Island.

It is important that you have an understanding of the marine biodiversity at Heron Island. In the first couple of days on the Island we will be identifying and keying out vertebrates, invertebrates (visible to the naked eye) and algae as a group. While some of you have been to Heron Island for other units, this is unlikely to put you at an advantage as the keys we use are quite different and we are identifying to species level where at all possible.

On the 31st March I will set up a 2-hour practical assessment for you to individually complete. You will need to identify some organisms to species level and use keys to identify other species. 

The process of science is no longer an ivory tower issue. Scientists need to think on their feet and quickly adapt the multilayered complexity of their research to the general public. It is important to consider that there may also be more than one perspective of a particular piece of research that is valid, and that listening to different perspectives can be fruitful. Scientific research, new technologies, paradigm shifts, etc., play a major role in today’s key political, economic, cultural and social policy discussions, a well as in public dialogue. As such, you need to be equipped with the skills to disseminate fresh research to appropriate audiences, particularly in the current climate when there is dwindling governmental support for science in Australia.

This Assessment Task has three outputs, each worth 3% (all due on the same day):

(1) Elevator Pitch. You will produce a short summary of your research that can be told to another scientist who specializes in this field, lasting from between 30 and 60 seconds, that describes the research you have just completed on Heron Island. Assume that this scientist has an advanced knowledge of the subject and the tools, theories, origins and relevance on the subject. The Convenor, along with the Tutor and your peers, will grade you for the most interesting and value-adding pitch. For more information on elevator pitches: http://thepostdocway.com/content/elevator-pitches-scientists-what-when-where-and- how

(2) 100 Word Summary. Should you continue in research you will be asked to write lay summaries for journals, research proposals, grants, seminars, etc. These are usually written for educated, but non-specialist, audiences, such as other academics (but not necessarily scientists), policymakers, government officials, editors. The 100 word summary is often the most important part of a submission or application because it is the decisive factor where the audience will decide to read on or move to the next piece. You will submit a 100 word summary that describes the research you have just completed for an educated, but non-specialised, audience. This document should be emailed to your Convenor by 5pm on the due date. Your Convenor and Tutor will grade this output. You may find this site useful: http://www.wikihow.com/Summarize-a-Journal-Article

(3) 10 Minute Presentation. You will produce a 10 minute PowerPoint presentation that explains your research and its significance for children of primary school age. Your aim should be to engage and excite the children into wanting to know more on the topic, while still teaching the details of the research. Primary school children like the use of active words, and examples that they can relate to. If unsure, please visit: http://www.lamsfoundation.org/lams2006/pdfs/Ang_Wang_LAMS06.pdf 

As BIOL773 is not a statistics or graphics unit, your individual abilities in these skills will not be assessed. What I do want to ensure, however, is that all students have access to the correct results that have been adequately analysed and graphed. For the final paper, therefore, you will write the methods, analyse, interpret, graph and write the results as a group while you are on Heron Island. This section needs to be submitted as a group via email to the Unit Convenor by 5pm on the due date. All individuals must participate in this Assessment Task, and anyone who has been observed not to participate adequately may have individual marks deducted from this section. Please remember that the final product of this section will only be as good as the collective effort.  Only one person needs to email the section to the Unit Convenor, but will need to CC all other participants into this email.

Students will research a topic assessing an anthropogenic impact and/or the management of an impact on the biodiversity and conservation of a tropical marine ecosystem. As a group you will research the topic given to you, then design and implement a research project to assess that impact on Heron Island. You and your peers will largely drive the design and running of the project, under the guidance of your Convenor and Tutor. The project is a collaborative effort but individual manuscripts will be written, following the format of the target journal.

The aim of this Assessment Task is to produce a piece of research that is innovative and significant, and one that contributes to current knowledge in that research field. Acquisition of real research skills is important at Masters Level coursework, where you are preparing to lead your own projects. The currency at the completion of your Masters Degree is, however, publications. I thus add an extra incentive for research quality. Should all go well and the project is well analysed and interpreted and you have all contributed substantially, I will take your individual assessments, rewrite them into a manuscript with participant’s names as co-authors (in addition to the Convenor and Tutor’s names), and submit it to an appropriate journal. This will only occur if the project is of a suitable standard and/or if appropriate data are collected. The Unit Convenor and Tutor will decide whether each participant has contributed enough physically and intellectually to be a co-author on the paper, as per the university standards (https://staff.mq.edu.au/research/integrity-ethics-and-approvals/research-integrity/areas-of-conduct ).

The final paper will be due at 5pm on the due date.  More information on this assessment task can be found in the field trip handout.