DIGITAL WORKSHOPS

Popularizing science on digital media

28.03, 04.04, 17.04, 24.04 and 11.05 (half-days)

 

 

Descriptives

One of the keys for young researchers to getting "seen" and "read" is to make their research accessible to as wide an audience as possible. This requires popularisation. And efficient popularisation is something that can be learned. Based on your own CV or article summary, this module guides you through all the stages of popularisation, from rewriting your text and formatting it on digital media, to building an illustration and introducing you to the basics of visualisation on social media. And last but not least, discover the keys to storytelling and storyboarding for making your text as trendy as possible.

 

Organisation

Although the theme is linked, the workshops can be taken independently of each other.

Participants will work on one of their own productions (e.g. a research summary) which they will revise and complete (text, visual, narrative) throughout the workshops. In this way, participants commit to taking the time to complete the required exercises before and between workshops.

As an option, participants who are not familiar with visual creation can participate in an introductory workshop on visual creation software (optional).
 

Language

English, except last workshop which will be given in French

 

Contenu

Introduction to workshop 1: Introduction to software for visual creation - March 28 - 9:15am-1:00pm

Descriptive

This workshop is an introduction to the use of graphic design software in general. Using Affinity Designer, which is typical of most software in its category, we will cover the different stages of graphic creation from idea to production.

 

Objectives

  • Basic knowledge of graphic design software
  • Basic knowledge of photo editing software
  • Ability to choose the right software
  • Understand the characteristics of an illustration in object mode
  • Understand the characteristics of a photo in point mode
  • Choose the right file types for different needs

 

Content

  • Software interface
    • Workspace
    • Document configuration
    • Unit of measurement
  • Creation
    • Creation tools
    • Selection, modification
    • Layout
  • Technical constraints (digital world)
    • Image format
    • File size
    • Type of file
    • Compression
    • Variations

 

Language

English

 

Speaker

Julien Jespersen works at the Division of Training and Students (DIFE) as a web developer. He has worked as a graphic designer for many years at the Cultural Activities and Communication Service of UNIGE. In addition, he runs courses in page layout and illustration within the DIFE.

 

Workshop 1: Visual communication for digital media - April 4 - 9:15am-1:00pm

Descriptive

The visual communication workshop aims to provide the theoretical knowledge and practical means to create graphic elements in order to communicate messages to a non-educated target audience via digital media. Through an alternation of theoretical and practical presentations, participants will be led to ask themselves the right questions and to mobilise the best means to achieve their communication objective. They will be asked to exchange and confront their views on their own creations within their group.

 

Objectives

  • Ability to prepare visual elements for the electronic media
  • Build concise and engaging visual elements from complex material
  • Understand the basics of codes and registers of graphic expression
  • To know how to make simple graphic compositions

 

Content

  • Graphic composition
    • Consistency
    • Efficiency
    • RegisterConsistency of the message
  • Basics of graphic design
    • Dimensions, orientation
    • Full, empty
    • Grid, margins, alignment
    • Colors
    • Typography
  • Recipient of the message
    • Who
    • What, action
    • Notion of time
    • Notion of space
  • Analysis and comparison
    • Identification of criteria
    • Confrontation of opinions
    • Objectivity and subjectivity

 

Language

English

 

Speaker

Julien Jespersen (see above)

 

Workshop 2: Storytelling and storyboarding science - April 17 (Part 1) AND April 24 (Part 2) - 1:15-5:00pm

Descriptive

I seek to challenge, inspire and train scientists to use narrative techniques and strategies employed in film to produce persuasive presentations, publications and digital media tools. Borrowing communication strategies and techniques from filmmakers and applying them in science communication and popularization will help scientists for better communication of their research to a non-expert audience through digital media, and scientists are wise enough to do so!

 

Objectives

  • Persuasive communication of our research, divulgation and publication
  • Preparing script and storyboard about our research
  • Audio-visual literacy: Better understanding and interpretation of films
  • The use of storytelling in digital media

 

Content

  • Theory: Story and narrative, storytelling in science, script writing and storyboarding, alternative narrative structures.
  • Practice: Participants re-write their biography, summaries of their already published (or in preparation) papers and presentations based on what they learn in the workshop.

 

Language

English

 

Speaker

Samer Angelone holds two PhDs in Film Studies and Biology. He is the founder of the Global Science Film Festival, and works as a jury-member for prestigious international film festivals. Angelone has directed several fiction and documentary films. He teaches 'Filmmaking for Scientists', 'Storytelling & Storyboarding Science', and 'Video-journalism for Scientists' at different universities, research institutes and film festivals. www.sciencefilm.ch

 

Workshop 3: Writting for the digital media and the general public - May 11 - 9:15am-1:00pm

Descriptive

Writing to be read and understood by a wide audience is a puzzle for researchers, especially in digital media. How to get attention? How do you convey sharp knowledge, complex concepts?
By observing the rules of effective writing, it becomes possible to solve these questions. At least partially. Let's look at some of them: determine your target audience, choose your vocabulary level; limit the number of words per sentence; use the present tense of the indicative; find good examples.
This training is intended to be concrete and offers practical tools that are easy to implement.

 

Objectives

  • Know the rules of efficient writing;
  • Know how to title your text/article;
  • To understand the principle of the hat of an article;
  • Know the expectations of digital media for scientific texts;
  • Analyze your texts according to Lasswell's proposal: Who says what to whom by what means and with what effect;
  • Practice effective writing.

 

Content

Theoretical contributions: writing in a simple way, knowing how the reader approaches a text, adopting the rules of effective writing, writing the title and caption of an article.
Practical exercises: writing the catchphrases of an article, working on the text/article/abstract that will have been submitted at the time of registration.

 

Language

French

 

Speaker

Jean-Blaise Held, MicroPlume sàrl (http://www.microplume.ch), is an adult trainer and coach in the field of oral and written communication: effective writing, media training, speeches, conducting interviews, public speaking. He was a lecturer at UNIFR from 2004 to 2020 (public relations, journalistic writing, web writing, mediatraining). He teaches written and oral communication at the HEIA Fribourg and for further education at the HEG Fribourg. Mr. Held was a journalist at RTS for 20 years and editor in charge of the Cahiers protestants (2000-2004).