Print version - Technion Focus Magazine

Science Communication
6
OCTOBER 2009
Talk Science
By Amanda Jaffe-Katz
Dr Ayelet Baram-Tsabari is flying the banner for a science
communication track within the Department of Education
in Technology and Science. “This is my vision,” she says,
“to train scientists how to reach the public via the mass
media, and train journalists in speaking to scientists.”
Baram-Tsabari, a year-and-a-half into her appointment,
gives a science communication course at Technion, which
is open to all Technion students. Science Communication:
Theory and Practice is, to the best of her knowledge, the
only such course in Israel.
3 Minutes of Fame
The local heat of the British Council initiative
FameLab, organized by PhD student Roey Tzezana,
was held at Technion in March 2009. Judges,
including Dr Ayelet Baram-Tsabari, listened to
some one dozen contestants under the age of 32,
including winner Ravid Barak, pictured, 28-yearold
third-year student of Nanotechnology. She
described “The Green Flash” that may appear at
sunset when the Earth’s atmosphere acts
as a prism.
“I really enjoyed being a judge at FameLab,” says
Baram-Tsabari. “It was inspiring to see young
scientists who are aspiring to speak about true and
clear science – all in the space of three minutes.”
Big
Drama
“A holistic learning experience
that connects the twin cultures
of science and the humanities.”
]
Learning by Theater:
(l-r) Ran Peleg and Ruti Tamir
perform Atom Surprise
On her wavelength: Dr Ayelet Baram-Tsabari leads the Interest Group: (l-r) Magi Mualem, Alaa Kaadni, Galit Hagay,
Dr Ayelet Baram-Tsabari, Esti Laslo, and Ran Peleg discuss science teaching and science communication.
“The media is a tool we
[
have to learn to use in
order to reach the public.”
The course discusses models of communication through
the media. For example, the Deficit Model which holds
that it is solely the fault of the media that any gaps exist
between what the layperson and the scientist think.
Baram-Tsabari explains that the public requires context to
assimilate scientific information. For example, in order to
become interested in a specific breakthrough, the man in
the street needs to know its relevance. For the practical
work, students are required to write a scientific news
item; to interview a scientist; film a TV-news item; and to
prepare a TV script for a non-news or feature program. The
best interview from each of the two courses so far taught
were published on the Web by the science editor of the
leading daily, Ynet.
“The public owns the knowledge since it partially funds the
university and its research,” says Baram-Tsabari. “Divulging
this information is what we owe to the public. We need
the public to be on the same wavelength as us – and this
is important not just for funding.”
“The media is a tool we have to learn to use in order to
reach the public. We have to keep the public – and the
government – on our side,” she advises. “Maintaining the
distance? That’s a privilege we don’t have!”
By Amanda Jaffe-Katz
Ran Peleg, doctoral student in the Department of
Education in Technology and Science, brings drama
to the learning process – not to literature class, but
rather to explain science. Peleg’s philosophy holds that
theater is a means to increase children’s motivation
and boost their learning experience.
While living in England, Peleg earned two degrees
in Chemical Engineering from Cambridge University
as well as becoming an accomplished ballroom
dancer. The switch from full-time chemical engineer
to performer came about after Peleg had returned
to Israel in 1999. After a brief career in the chemical
industry, Peleg received an offer he could not refuse
from an internationally performing dance company.
Further training in dance, theatre, and mime and
several years of science teaching experience later,
Peleg led a group that created Atom Surprise, a play
inspired by the need to raise interest and scientific
literacy among youngsters. “Through this play, I aim
to teach elementary school children about different
aspects of materials including atoms, molecules, and
the states of matter… but with plenty of humor and
fun,” he says. Taking his comic, interactive show on
the road, Peleg tours schools, community centers, and
science museums and provides an experiential lesson
in scientific principles for the primary school age-group.
“Theater and drama allow for emotional involvement,
opening the door for cognitive learning and increased
Baram-Tsabari organized the first conference of its kind
on science and the media in Israel, and is now planning
the second one. “Just think,” she exclaims, “There’s not
a single journalist in the Israeli Hebrew-language press
whose only job is to write about science. In the Egyptian
newspaper Al-Ahram, on the other hand, there are 20!”
Baram-Tsabari is also spearheading Technion’s
involvement in the 2009 Researchers’ Night European
Union initiative to be held at MadaTech – The Israel
National Museum of Science, Technology and Space. She
explains, “To commemorate 400 years of Galileo and
200 years of Darwin, the two subjects we are highlighting
are Astronomy and Evolution.” In addition to lectures on
astronomy and a simulation of the moon, she is involving
members of the Faculty of Biology in direct dialog with
the public who will attend the September event. The
museum-goers will have unmediated access to discuss the
issues they find interesting regarding Evolution. “Lecturing
to the public is important, but talking to the public is more
important,” she says.
Having completed her PhD at the Weizmann Institute
of Science in 2008, Baram-Tsabari chose to join
the Technion faculty for its internationally acclaimed
department of science education. In spring 2010, joined
by her husband and two preschoolers, she will embark on
a one-year postdoctoral stint at Cornell University, “to learn
from the world expert, Bruce Levenstein.”
motivation. They pave the way for a holistic learning
experience that connects the twin cultures of science
and the humanities. In addition they also court the
current obsession with celebrity by putting science in
the spotlight,” explains Peleg.
Peleg’s doctoral research interests are the application
of theatre and drama in science education. “The aim
of my research is to characterize science education
plays from the perspectives of the viewers/students,
creators, and teachers,” he says. Peleg has already
analyzed preliminary findings regarding kids’ reactions
to the play and attitudes toward science, finding gender
differences that in some cases favored girls’ improved
learning. He is also formulating research-based design
principles for the creation of future plays.
His advisors are Prof. Avi Berman, head of the
department, and new faculty member, Dr Ayelet
Baram-Tsabari. She heads the Interest Group within
the department whose members – including Peleg –
study what people want to know about science and
technology using novel methodologies. Baram-Tsabari
says, “In the past decades we changed our goals from
science education for future scientists to ‘science for
all’. It is naïve of us as science educators to change
the goals of science education without changing the
means. Ran’s novel approach gives us another tool that
wasn’t there before. Ran – a Cambridge graduate – is
doing good, solid science, but he is also a professional
actor. Thanks to Ran, we can now strive to teach real
science in a new way, catering for as many as possible,
and matching the aims with the methods.”