Identifying Effective Science Communication Elements for Medical Bacteriology
Category: Research Poster
Author(s): Hailey Ojeda
Presenter(s): Hailey Ojeda
Recent years have seen increasing calls to expand interdisciplinary training in undergraduate science education. This approach is particularly important in courses such as medical bacteriology, where students must master scientific content and develop the skills to communicate effectively with diverse communities about complex topics like antimicrobial resistance. Such communication skills are essential throughout a student’s career, especially when addressing misunderstandings or misinformation in public health contexts. It is crucial that students learn about more effective communication models that emphasize engagement to understand audience perspectives, needs, and concerns, rather than the deficit model, which assumes the public simply lacks knowledge and requires factual information. This study aims to optimize a codebook for evaluating how students incorporate inclusive science communication (ISC) into an infographic project across two semesters of an upper-division medical bacteriology course. The codebook systematically differentiates between deficit and inclusive communication models in student infographics. One semester received no guidance on ISC, while the other received a brief description of ISC and ISC reflection questions in their assignment instructions. Student work was analyzed using both deductive and inductive coding approaches. Deductive coding provided an initial coding framework, while inductive coding allowed for emergent codes or unexpected insights. Results from this study will assess how integrating ISC into an upper-division medical bacteriology course can enhance student learning experiences and equip students with the skills needed to engage diverse audiences thoughtfully. Ultimately, this approach supports the development of scientifically literate professionals capable of addressing public health challenges with both knowledge and empathy.