Teaching Public, Scientific Controversy: Genetically Modified Mosquitoes in the Technical Writing Classroom

2017 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-69
Author(s):  
Stephanie Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Technical Writing ◽  
Genetically Modified ◽  
Florida Keys ◽  
Scientific Controversy ◽  
Rhetorical Situation ◽  
Current Case ◽  
Public Health Initiative ◽  
Writing Students ◽  
Genetically Modified Mosquitoes

The release of genetically modified mosquitoes in the Florida Keys is part of a public health initiative to limit the spread of infectious disease. The local debate over this proposed action provides a current case study of a public, scientific controversy in which citizens and officials disagree about what is best for the community. The case study challenges technical writing students to consider complex cultural circuits, or networks, that comprise a specific controversy. The students analyze the rhetorical situation, create new content that contributes to the ongoing discussion, and learn about audience through usability testing their multimodal projects.

Challenging Students to Respond to Multicultural Issues: The Case-Study Approach

1995 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 28-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen M. Sharp
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Technical Writing ◽  
Teaching Strategy ◽  
Business Communication ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Group Settings ◽  
Multicultural Issues ◽  
Writing Students

Business communication and technical writing students face a new workplace challenge: responding to problems that reflect a multicultural dimension and involve business- people whose perspectives, values, and traditions are not Western. Case studies are a good teaching strategy to introduce multicultural issues in business communication. Case studies involve students in group settings and demand both problem-solving and human-relations skills. Adding discussion questions to case-study problems prompts student responses, and assigning a follow-up progress report or memorandum ties the case-study reviews to course goals. This article includes both a description of the assignment and two timely case-study samples.

Hybridizing F2F and Virtual Collaboration between a Government Agency and Service-Learning Technical Writing Students

2011 ◽  
pp. 58-67
Author(s):  
Jim Henry
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Technical Writing ◽  
Workplace Culture ◽  
Virtual Collaboration ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Writing Students ◽  
The Face ◽  
History Of

This case study reviews a hybrid face-to-face (F2F) and virtual collaboration between the State of Hawaii’s Division of Forestry and Wildlife and a team of university technical writing students to indicate specific features of the hybridity as it shaped the collaboration. In a course focused on organizational authorship, students were tasked with learning about the organization’s workplace culture to successfully represent its ethos in a report on the history of forestry in Hawai‘i. Moments and modes of collaboration are discussed chronologically as they enabled successful report writing, featuring key components: clearly stipulating terms of collaboration through service-learning, assessing fit between the course and the organization, emphasizing the need for onsite visits by students to ascertain the workplace culture, conducting swift follow-up on challenges in meshing the virtual with the face-to-face, and leveraging each mode of collaboration synergistically rather than discretely.

scholarly journals Is Science Effectively Conveyed to the Public? A Case Study of Genetically Modified Mosquito Release

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kailash Vemuri ◽  
N. Murti Vemuri ◽  
Sita Munukutla
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Genetically Modified ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
News Coverage ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Engagement With Science ◽  
Rapid Pace ◽  
Genetically Modified Mosquitoes ◽  
Relative Preferences

Science is the driving force behind the advancement of society making public engagement with science vital. With the rapid pace of scientific discoveries, the availability of well-balanced scientific information is possibly the most important it has ever been. This study aims to determine the effectiveness with which scientific information is disseminated to the public. This was done by conducting a survey in which people were given three articles to read about the release of genetically modified mosquitoes. These three articles were adapted from local news coverage, government authorities, and peer-reviewed scientific literature. Survey participants were queried on their relative preferences for these articles. Additionally, the top 100 hits on Google for the search item “Florida mosquito release” were analyzed to assess the availability of the scientific information preferred by survey respondents. The results of this study showed that the public seeks quality, balanced scientific literature but that these types of articles aren’t easily accessible. Articles that prioritize getting clicks are more prevalent than those that present balanced scientific research.

A Leadership Approach for the New Millennium: A Case Study of UCLA's Bruin Leaders Project

NASPA Journal ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles L. Outcalt ◽  
Shannon K. Faris ◽  
Kathleen N. McMahon ◽  
Philip M. Tahtakran ◽  
Christopher B. Noll
Keyword(s):  
Social Development ◽  
Student Development ◽  
Research University ◽  
Leadership Theory ◽  
Public Research ◽  
Current Case ◽  
Leadership Model ◽  
Public Research University ◽  
New Millennium

The current case study investigates the application of a non-hierarchical leadership model at an urban public research university. Following a review of recent contributions to leadership theory, especially with regard to student development, the authors balance discussions of the values on which the program under review is based with descriptions of the practical structure of the program. In addition, they suggest means by which other campuses can tailor this program to their resources, opportunities, and needs. The case study concludes with a discussion of the program’s effect on students’ cognitive and social development.

Testing Safety of Genetically Modified Products of Rice: Case Study on Sprague Dawley Rats

2019 ◽  
Vol 55 (8) ◽  
pp. 962-968
Author(s):  
M. Shirdeli ◽  
Y. L. Orlov ◽  
G. Eslami ◽  
B. Hajimohammadi ◽  
L. E. Tabikhanova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetically Modified ◽  
Sprague Dawley ◽  
Sprague Dawley Rats

The Rhetorical Case: Its Roman Precedent and the Current Debate

1989 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 203-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Mendelson
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Technical Writing ◽  
Current Debate ◽  
Case Study Method ◽  
Full Spectrum ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Early Case ◽  
New Phase

Because of the recent emphasis on rhetorical context in business and technical writing (BTW) instruction, the problem-solving case has become a staple in BTW classrooms. However, a number of critics have voiced concerns about the use of the rhetorical case. These concerns recall an ancient debate among Roman rhetoricians over an early case-study method called declamation. For contemporary theorists, the debate over case study revolves around its value as a stimulant to problem-solving skills, its ability to imitate the realistic circumstances of professional BTW, and its emphasis on persona and audience along with its deemphasis of the teacher. A full spectrum of arguments on these and other issues in the case-study debate indicates that the discipline is entering a new phase in its deliberations over the role of problem-solving and pragmatics in the BTW classroom.

scholarly journals Energy Balance in Wastewater Systems with Energy Recovery: A Portuguese Case Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (10) ◽  
pp. 141
Author(s):  
Catarina Jorge ◽  
Maria do Céu Almeida ◽  
Dídia Covas
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Balance ◽  
Energy Recovery ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Current Case ◽  
Total Input ◽  
Wastewater Systems ◽  
Regional Reference

This paper presents and discusses the application of a novel energy balance scheme for assessing energy efficiency in wastewater systems. The energy balance is demonstrated with a Portuguese real-life case study, using mathematical modelling to estimate the different energy components and to compute two energy efficiency indices. The total inflow intrinsic energy can represent a significant amount (>95%) of the total energy used in systems mainly composed of gravity sewers. The total input energy is significantly (four-times) higher in the wet season than in the dry season, mostly due to undue inflows (e.g., direct rainfall and infiltration). The potential for energy recovery strongly depends on the available head and flow rate at the delivery point, being 0.01 kWh/m3 in the current case, with a project payback period of 4 years. The energy balance components and the respective energy efficiency indices strongly depend on the considered reference elevation. Thus, a unique regional reference elevation is recommended in the calculations.

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