Research on the different ways in which climate change and adaptation (CCA) is communicated and taught has been growing in popularity over the last few decades. Researchers in communication science have found that the way in which information is presented and transferred is important in influencing people's perceptions and attitudes towards particular topics and issues. With this in mind, the lack of interest or realization of the severity of climate change at many levels of governance may be indicative that climate change, the subsequent negative impacts thereof and the need to implement adaptive and mitigative strategies - is not being effectively communicated to these audiences. This research explores the effect of CCA training-courses on participant knowledge, perceptions and attitudes towards CCA and related issues. It also highlights training methods and elements of course design which participants identified as enabling factors in enabling their understanding of CCA. The data collection used a mix methods approach, and focused around two training-courses. Participants (n=37) were mid-career professionals, many of whom engage in decision-making and policy development activities in different levels and sectors of government. Quantitative data was collected using scaled pre-and-post training tests. Qualitative data was collected through 14 semi-structured interviews, process observations, and anonymous feedback slips. A majority of participants (68%), showed an increase in knowledge scores after attending training. Similarly, 62% of participants responded more positively to questions relating to CCA in the post-training test compared to their pre-test responses. This research did not find a strong correlation between changes in knowledge, and changes in perceptions and attitudes; however, there were positive changes in all three variables. Participants discussed six methods of teaching and training which enabled their understanding of CCA and related issues; namely, PowerPointTM presentations, group work, practical exercises, games and role-play. Learnings from studying the training-courses highlight the importance of collaborative learning, diversity in participant groups, active engagement of participants with various mixed training methods and careful framing of content such that it inspires a sense of confidence rather than hopelessness. The effective communication and transfer of CCA information to professionals that are engaged in decision-making and policy development is key to increasing adaptive capacity, and subsequently adaptation at scale. It is therefore critical that CCA communication and capacity building efforts, such as training-courses, are designed such that they optimize participant learning and understanding.

A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MA in Communication Science University of Zululand, 2001. / In this thesis I present my recommendations regarding the role of direct small group communication and public communication in an envisaged Communication Science curriculum within the Language, literacy and Communication learning area in the Further Education and Training band. I show that the fundamental switch from the traditional educator-centred teaching to learner-centred teaching in OBE requires that both educators and learners be in command of a range of communica¬tion strategies in order to construct meaning in real-world social contexts. Intraper-sonaL, interpersonal and small group involvements are all essential for successful teaching. I also stress the need for knowledge of verbal as well as nonverbal com¬munication skills to give learners the confidence they need in the workplace. The cooperative method of teaching brings democracy into the OBE classroom with learners contributing from their daily lives as well as having their needs met. I examine an array of forms of communication that learners and educators must be in command of to succeed in OBE. I argue that since the human mind integrates knowledge, the demarcations between learning areas are mainly posited for heuristic convenience. An analysis of the Revised National Curriculum Statement (C2005) shows that most of the components required to form the basis for offering Com-munication Science as a coherent formal discipline in the Further Education and Training (FKI) band, can be found, dispersed throughout the General Education and Training (GET) band, (Grades R to 9) within the Language, literacy and Communication learning area. In the penultimate chapter I utilise the insights gained to suggest what the curriculum could include for teaching direct small group communication and public communication as part of the envisaged Communica-tion Science curriculum. Finally, I would like to point out that my thesis forms part of a number of coordi-nated studies on the feasibility of including particular aspects of human communication as part of the envisaged Communication Science curriculum.

Science communication, as a multidisciplinary field, serves to transfer scientific information to individuals to promote interest and awareness in science. This process resembles science education. Rooted in science education and science communication studies, this study examines the 4th and 5th grade students` usage of prominent science information sources (SIS), the features of these sources, and their effective and ineffective uses and processes in communicating science to students. Guided by situated learning and uses and gratifications (U&amp / G) theories, this study is a phenomenological qualitative inquiry. Data were gathered through approximately 64 hours of classroom observations / focus group and individual interviews from four elementary schools (two public, two private schools) in Ankara, T&uuml / rkiye. Focus group interviews were conducted with 47 students, and individual interviews were carried out with 17 teachers and 10 parents. The data were analyzed manually and MAXQDA software respectively. The results revealed that students used various SIS in school-based and beyond contexts to satisfy their cognitive, affective, personal, and social integrative needs. They used SIS for (a) science courses, (b) homework/project assignments, (c) exam/test preparations, and (d) individual science related research. Moreover, the results indicated that comprehensible, enjoyable, entertaining, interesting, credible, brief, updated, and visual aspects of content and content presentation of SIS were among the key drivers affecting students` use of SIS. The results revealed that accessibility of SIS was an important variable in students` use of these sources. Results further shed light on the connection between science education and science communication in terms of promoting science learning.

This study is designed to gain an understanding of the reality creation process in digital news media. By looking into the case of the Trump-Ukraine scandal the way how the 2 major US online news platforms CNN and FoxNews discursively construct reality for their audiences is examined. Within this analysis a qualitative framework is used, by applying a multi-method approach, consisting of a multimodal-discourse analysis and a critical discourse analysis. In the increasingly polarized and fragmented US society, explanations are needed for why people are having fundamentally different understandings of the current political events. A quite reasonable amount of research has been conducted in this field. However, the media studies are currently lacking profound explanations in the field of digital news. This project offers relevant findings of how the analyzed publications construct the events around an important and controversial topic through their online news coverage.  Interestingly, this project shows that the news coverage about the Trump-Ukraine scandal in both channels differs decisively in terms of its journalistic style and contextual meaning. FoxNews uses direct quotations to hand over the narration to the political actors involved in the political process. In that way, FoxNews functions as the opinion creation machine for conservative worldviews and presents a Trump-favorable version of the events. On the other hand, CNN injects its news coverage with emotionalizing elements and creates through that a very Trump-critical and partly prejudiced news reporting, focusing more on the sensational value of the story rather than on sole information.  Important to mention is that this research offers limited explanations to the problematic nature of the issue since digital news embodies a decisive factor in the opinion creation process but is one factor out of many. Therefore, more research is needed to fully elaborate on the digital news environment and its impacts on society.

A dissertation submitted in fulfilnent of the Requirements for the degree of D. Litt in Communication Science University of Zululand, 2002 / In this study I looked at the issue of the Afrikaans language, which is most often approached from a position of strong vested interest, either in support or against it. This study was intended as an intellectual response to an intensely debated issue. It is a survey of scholarly and tendentious reporting regarding the status of Afrikaans and the other official languages of South Africa. As we move into the 21st century the .Afrikaans language has once more moved into a position of status, not for ideological purposes but for practical communication. Previously it was associated with the struggle for survival, and with an image of kitchen patios. As it takes its rightful place in our multilingual country, one in which the playing fields are levelled for all indigenous languages, major processes in society will determine its future and to what extent Afrikaans would function as an African language. For this to happen the language has to create a survival niche for itself, on behalf of the other nine indigenous languages. As one of the official languages it needs to create a space beyond hegemony and social legislation. By ensuring that it is always 'ahead and to the side' (rather than "on the side') of English and the other nine languages, the Afrikaans language will experience a growth phase continuing to interrogate its own traditions where people are empowered to use the language of their choice. The Afrikaans language must not be continually punished for its perceived complicity in apartheid politics but should be protected and advanced with an overarching structure of multilingualism. The downgrading of Afrikaans has not affected the language adversely; on the contrary it has triggered stronger support from influential persons and the rest of the population. It has found a new identity and status alongside the other ten official languages. Each of these languages should be encouraged to flourish with political will and patience. Afrikaans has a significant role to play in the 'African Renaissance' and remain an important language of all South Africans. Its role as a South African language can be redefined in terms of the constitution. In the words of President Thabo Mbeki, "when the sun rises, it must show a rebirth of South Africa, driven by the enormous talents of all our people, and made possible by the knowledge and realisation that we share a common destiny. / National Research Foundation (NRF)

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Randomly selected students in the Academic Health Sciences Divisions and Psychology Department at ETSU participated in a two-year Interprofessional Education (IPE) program. Prior research found that student’s general attitudes and perceptions of team oriented collaborative practice positively change with IPE experiences. However, there is a lack of research supporting that IPE improves students’ specific skills and competencies. The goal of ETSU’s pilot IPE program was to provide a collaborative learning environment for students from health professions to improve future health outcomes. Students participated in an IPE activity or course for each of the four Core Competencies for Interprofessional Collaborative Practice. The competencies included Roles and Responsibilities, Ethics, Communication, and Teams and Teamwork, which provide a framework for lifelong learning across all health professions’ education curricula. The purpose of the research was to determine whether participation in IPE activities and courses changed students’ specific skills and competencies within the broader four Core Competencies. It was predicted that integrating interprofessional education into post-secondary education would increase students’ knowledge and application and appreciation of interprofessional education. Data was collected through the online survey program, Survey Monkey©, before and after each course or activity. Pre- and post-surveys were administered to measure students’ judgments about their current level of knowledge, ability to implement the knowledge, and degree to which they valued the skills. Nine to twelve subcompetencies, derived from the Core Competencies, were presented in a question format addressing the proficiencies: I know..., I practice..., and I value... A total of 32 graduate students from the Colleges of Medicine, College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy, College of Public Health, College of Clinical and Rehabilitative Health Sciences, and Department of Psychology submitted 41 surveys. Dependent t-tests were used to test for change between pre- and post-test ratings. Results showed that the overall mean posttest ratings within each Core Competency were greater than the pre-test ratings at a statistically significant levels, excluding the Ethics Competency. The mean post-test ratings for each proficiency (e.g., I know, I practice, I value) were greater than the pre-test ratings at a statistically significant levels. Most students (95%) rated their initial evaluation of knowledge as accurate, meaning the students felt their pre-test ratings were representative of their prior knowledge. The findings of the current study suggest that integrating interprofessional education into post-secondary education courses, such as that provided by the ETSU IPE Pilot Project, may increase students’ knowledge, skills and appreciation for interprofessional education.

Surveys measured students’ knowledge, application, and appreciation for four core competencies of IPE before and after their participation in specific activities and courses. There was a statistically significant difference between pre- and post-test ratings for all competencies, with the exception of Ethics, and all proficiency types. Modest gains were found.

Die Projektarbeit der ViFa KoMFiT („Virtuelle Fachbibliothek für die Kommunikationsund Medienwissenschaft/Publizistik, die Theater- und Filmwissenschaft“) muss für insgesamt drei wissenschaftliche Disziplinen die Informationsversorgung in einem Onlineangebot organisieren. Im September 2007 ist das Projekt gestartet. Es wird von vier Partnern getragen – den Universitätsbibliotheken Leipzig und Frankfurt am Main (SGG Theater- und Filmwissenschaft), der Hochschule für Film und Fernsehen „Konrad Wolf “ in Potsdam-Babelsberg und der Hochschule für Musik und Theater „Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy“ (HMT) in Leipzig. Die vier Partner bearbeiten mit einem Gesamtstundenvolumen von rund 180 Wochenstunden die komplexen Aufgaben des Projekts, dessen Leitung an der Universitätsbibliothek Leipzig liegt. Den Schwerpunkt der Programmierung und technischen Realisation trägt die UB Frankfurt. Durch insgesamt sechs Projektmitarbeiter

This thesis concentrates on new approaches in the popularization of archaeology in the light of its social contribution to the society of the 21st century. Its main research issue is the problem of didactical transformation of the archaeological data and knowledge for the needs of an efficient popularization of the discipline. An effective popularization is considered to be a complex of interdisciplinary processes leading to a multi-layered usage of archaeological in-formation and data by the general public. The author as well emphasizes the substantial educational dimension of archaeological popularization. According to this fact she tries to apply the pieces of knowledge gained from field didactics, museum education and experiential learning on the duplex communication with general public. Thesis consists form a theoretical and a practical part. The theoretical part deals with information and experiences from public archaeology, history, sociology and philosophy and analyses both familiar and neglected roles of archaeology within the contemporary society and situates them into a broader educational context. The second - practical - part of the thesis focuses on new approaches, methods and themes within the research issue, and introduces several model examples of good praxis as well as seven...