Course Description:
Creating Connections: An Introduction to the Alda Method® - The Creating Connections program hosted by the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University is a live, online workshop designed to help scientists and researchers learn to engage and inspire diverse audiences through effective communication, with a particular focus on virtual interactions.
Participants will learn how to balance being prepared with responding in the moment to address questions. The program emphasizes universal communication strategies, including avoiding jargon, and technical skills for creating engagement online, including camera angles and sound levels.
Program Outcomes
Identify strategies to make a message memorable
Recognize and begin to avoid using complex terminology and jargon
Use a three-step process to design a message strategically
Develop a personable and engaging online presence
Methodology
The Alda Method is a unique approach to science communication training that combines improvisational theater-based techniques with message-design strategies, including analogies and narrative. The immersive method emphasizes two-way communication to build trust and invite others to share in the wonder and joy of science. It incorporates research and best practices from science communication, journalism, ethics, and other relevant fields.
Promotional Video about Alda Center online learning in general
About the Alda Center
The Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science empowers scientists and researchers to share their work clearly and vividly with a wide variety of audiences. Through in-person and online professional development programs, researchers learn to share their knowledge and their discoveries in ways that resonate with other researchers, students, members of the media, policymakers and others. Founded in 2009 by actor, author, and activist Alan Alda, the Alda Center has trained more than 18,000 researchers from around the world to communicate effectively and empathically. The Center is housed at Stony Brook University on Long Island, New York. Learn more at AldaCenter.org.