Nicki Swann’s Teaching and Science Communication Philosophy

Overview and Motivation

While research is what drew me to science, I have come to consider teaching, outreach, and science communication to be equally important. A barrier exists between science and the general public that undermines the public’s understanding and impressions of science. The heated debates that have emerged in the public about issues like the safety of vaccinations or the existence of climate change provide clear evidence of this. The fact that these scientifically uncontroversial issues have sparked such debate underscores the deep mistrust of science that has developed in the public. As scientists, this should concern all of us, not only because much of our research is publicly funded, but also because our efforts to apply our research findings to the betterment of humanity will be in vain if our findings are viewed with suspicion.

Teaching Philosophy

I think that science can be de-mystified, and scientific perceptions and education improved, by providing students with a more realistic impression of how science is done.
Often in early science education and even in college, science is presented as clear-cut, with little to no uncertainty. Principles that we learn in textbooks are presented as static facts, and even hands-on laboratory exercises are structured so that students walk through a series of pre- described steps and arrive at the “right” answer. This has nothing to do with actual science, which is a constantly evolving process, full of controversy and adjustments to the accepted “facts” as we learn more. Science is full of mistakes, changes of plans, failures, and breakthroughs. That is part of what makes it so exciting! Teaching science as if it is a field that has already been worked out does the field a disservice, not only because it makes science seem boring, but it also makes the public uncomfortable with inherent scientific uncertainty. Imagine that you have learned your whole life that science is composed of facts with clear outcomes and one right answer. Then you turn on the news and hear that there is scientific disagreement about important issues, or hear new research results that contradict the ones you heard last week. Of course the public will be skeptical, because what they know about science doesn’t include these kinds of uncertainty.

Instead of teaching science as a clear-cut body of facts, we should teach how research is actually conducted; how theories are created, disproven, improved upon, and continue to evolve. By incorporating these themes into my teaching, I strive to give my student’s the tools they need to evaluate scientific findings with a healthy mix of respect and skepticism.