Module Summary

This module is run by Warwick Institute of Engagement through IATL. It's an interdisciplinary module open to 2nd and 3rd year undergraduates from any course to choose as an option.

Through the design, planning and delivery of their own public engagement activity students build their communication, team working and project management skills. They explore subjects like evaluation, digital engagement, effective storytelling and placemaking and come away with the confidence and skills to apply this learning to future research, and careers in or outside academia. This module gives students a theoretical and practical introduction to public engagement. They come away with a strong knowledge of complex challenges involved, and the rewards it can bring to themselves, universities and society.

Teaching Structure/ Pedagogical approach

Teaching is split between several module convenors and also relies on bringing in guest speakers from around the university and externally. This allows us to share a broad range of perspectives about public engagement.

Each week we set an online task in Moodle for the students to complete before the seminar. For example watching a video, doing some desk based research, or reading a paper. The seminars are then based around sharing content with students, setting them exercises to complete and share back on to peers, or doing interactive activities in the seminar.

Topics covered include:

• What is engagement
• Panel discussion on engagement in different disciplines
• Digital engagement
• Evaluation
• Presentation and Storytelling Skills
• Video Production
• Audiences
• Working with Museums and Galleries
• Co-production of research and engagement
• The future of engagement

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Develop a theoretical and practical understanding of public engagement as seen through various thematic lenses
• Demonstrate a good understanding of the importance of evaluation and the different methodologies available for this.
• Effectively write for a public audience in a blog format.
• Evaluate and reflect upon their own experience of running a public engagement event.
• Demonstrates an awareness of different ideas, contexts and frameworks with regard to the relationship between the arts, social sciences and sciences in the field of public engagement.
• Prepare relevant questions and engage in personal and collaborative attempts to answer them in an informed manner (i.e. use of texts, films, different primary and secondary sources, material provided during the academic lectures and the group activities), developing inter- and trans-disciplinary ideas.

Student Feedback

Here's what our past students have had to say about the course:

• “My overall experience on the module was very interesting and rewarding. The module allowed me to learn and enhance various skills including presentation, teamwork, blog writing, storytelling, and, of course, public engagement!”
• "I've really enjoyed having up to 3 experts in a room at one time. It has helped discussion and meant that I can really enjoy sessions."
• "I've really enjoyed the discussion-based approach."
• "Taking the Public Engagement module in my final year fundamentally changed my perception of science and my career. I got a taste of how crucial, diverse, and creative this field is throughout numerous academic projects. After I graduated from the university, I kept practicing public engagement as a hobby on multiple social media platforms. During my work experiences as a Biologist, I emphasised the importance of science communication, and I am delighted to see a growing desire to apply it."

• "Studying public engagement allowed me to express my creativity and test my understanding of the discipline in ways different from simply writing essays. I’ve been thinking of pursuing a career as a political risk analyst, and for that, it will be important that I am able to explain complex, discipline-specific issues to people with no prior knowledge of them. This is exactly what public engagement prepares you for."

Further Links

• Contact the module leader
• Access our reading list
• View module proposal