Communicating science is an invaluable skill for all scientists and educators in science.
In Spring Quarter 2015, the freshman Communicating Science class was spun into a slightly different course, EEB C179, for upperclassman biology majors. Students in C179 created two types of videos for a general audience:
1. a short documentary where students worked in small collaborative groups and interviewed UCLA researchers about topics they wanted to learn more about.
2. a short, animated video about one of the coolest science concepts they encountered during their undergraduate education. (Students worked independently on these concept videos with peer feedback.)
Here are some examples of videos we produced in this class:
Pro Tips: How to Study
Interview with Members of UCLA’s Bjork Learning Lab
Developing a Saliva Test to Detect Cancer
Interview with UCLA Dentistry Professor, Dr. David Wong
Advice for Pre-Med Students
Interview with Clarence Braddock, MD, MPH, MACP– and Vice Dean at UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine
Bubble Baby Disease / SCID-ADA
Interview with UCLA’s Dr. Donald Kohn
Understanding consciousness
Interview with UCLA’s Martin Monti, PhD
https://vimeo.com/220693325
Changing view of Microbes
Interview with UCLA’s Dr. Kirsten Tillisch, MD
https://vimeo.com/220709118
Finding better treatments for alcohol addiction
Interview with UCLA’s Lara Ray, PhD
https://vimeo.com/220695389
Monitoring marine environments with eDNA
Interview with UCLA graduate student Zack Gold
https://vimeo.com/220707469
Urban Gardens for Community Health
Interview with Derek Steele and UCLA’s Marianne Brown and Mark Biedlingmaier
https://vimeo.com/220708184
Active Learning: Flipping the Classroom
Interview with UCLA’s Dr. Frank Laski, Dr. Nadia Sellami, and Dr. Shanna Shaked
https://vimeo.com/220856177
Finding a cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Interview with UCLA’s Dr. Rachelle Crosbie-Watson and graduate student Courtney Young
https://vimeo.com/220712196
Sustainability & Zero Waste at UCLA
Interview with UCLA’s Emma Sorrell and Bonny Bentzin
Snails & Slugs: Citizen Science in LA
Interview with Natural History Museum Curator, Jann Vendetti
Hope for Spinal Cord Injury
Interview with UCLA’s Dr. V. Reggie Edgerton
The Teen Brain
Interview with ULCA’s Dr. Adriana Galván
HIV:Search for the Cure
Interview with UCLA’s Dr. Matthew Marsden and Dr. Jerome Zack
A Story of Addiction
Interview with Addiction Specialist Dr. Adi Jaffee
Protecting the Western Pond Turtle
Interview with UCLA’s Dr. Brad Shaffer and Alexis Whitaker
Microbiome, Gut-Brain Connection Interview with UCLA’s Dr. Kirsten Tillisch & Dr. Emeran A. Mayer
Studying Biodiversity on UCLA’s campus Interview with Dr. Ryan Harrigan, Sidhaant Shah, & Chris Gonnerman
Vaccinations & Decisions Interview with UCLA’s Dr. James Cherry
Evolutionary Medicine Interview with UCLA’s Dr. Barbara Natterson-Horowitz
Beyond the Stigma of Mental Illness Interview with UCLA’s Dr. Helen Levretsky
Depression on College Campuses Interview with UCLA’s Dr. Kenneth Wells, Dr. Bowen Chung, & Dr. Liz Gong-Guy
Environment Senior Practicum: Helping California Set the Rules for Fracking Interview with Alex Caryotakis
Vertebrate Morphology: Form meets Function (concept)
Vaccines & Herd Immunity (concept)
Inclusive Fitness & The Grandmother Hypothesis (concept)
Learning Game Theory (concept)
The Story of New Zealand’s Birds (concept)
Hot Spot Theory & Formation of Island Chains: Hawaii (concept)
Psychology of Attraction (concept)
Gene Therapy Using Specialized Vectors (concept)
Photosynthesis: A Poem (concept)
How Reflexes Work (concept)
How the Eye Works (concept)
Stem Cells (concept)
Vertebrate Homology (concept)
Impact of Less Meat (concept)
In 2019, this class was adapted for a year-long program where undergraduates interested in health equity and the environment learned from professionals in these fields through interviews and the creation of short, informative videos.