165 Development of science communication rubrics for trainees in clinical and translational science

Abstract

Objectives/Goals: Trainees in clinical and translational science (CTS) must learn to effectively communicate their research ideas and findings to a range of audiences. As part of our science communication curriculum, we developed ORAL and WRITTEN science communication rubrics for our trainees to use across their courses and research activities. Methods/Study Population: The Tufts CTS Graduate Program is the training core of the Tufts CTSI and its associated pre- and post-doctoral T32 awards. Approximately 10 trainees with a range of backgrounds (e.g., physicians, medical students, master’s-level researchers, and basic science PhDs) matriculate each year. Faculty members and staff with expertise in science communication and pedagogy formed a committee to develop the rubrics. Because oral and written communication require different skills, we developed separate rubrics for each. We reviewed our current science communication curriculum, reviewed existing communication rubrics, and identified common mistakes students make. Following pilot testing by students and faculty pilot for one semester, we modified the rubrics based on informal feedback. Results/Anticipated Results: Both rubrics include a section to identify the target audience and specific items organized by theme. Oral rubric themes include presentation content, slides, verbal communication, nonverbal communication, and following instructions. Written rubric themes include overall, manuscript/proposal sections, and following instructions. The rubrics serve as feedback tools for faculty and students to evaluate work others produce and as self-evaluation tools. Feedback elements include a 4-point rating for each rubric item, open text feedback for each theme, and an open text holistic assessment. We now use the rubrics in our study design course, which features student presentations of planned research, and in our writing course. We anticipate collecting formal student feedback to further evaluate the rubrics. Discussion/Significance of Impact: Our rubrics can supplement existing science communication training and can be integrated into all CTS coursework and research activities. For future clinical and translational scientists to have the greatest impact, they must learn to effectively communicate findings to multiple audiences, ranging from experts in their field to the general public.