Stand up for Science: Practical Approaches to Discussing Science that Matters

Information about Ella Atkins

What is your name, title, and role at the University of Michigan?

Ella M. Atkins, Professor, Department of Aerospace Engineering, Associate Director of Graduate Programs, Robotics

Why are your public engagement efforts in education and/or outreach important (to you and/or to the cause you’re working to promote)?

There is a major disconnect between STEM professionals and the general public of all ages. It is difficult to find a rational and objective voice in the popular press, yet most rely on the press to guide their opinions.  I watch from a distance as climate scientists are rebuked when people with little STEM background argue against scientific findings because of religion, convenience, economic issues, etc.  The resulting distrust of science itself requires academics to really work hard to help the scientific method and results from its application be accessible to everyone.  

I have a long-term stake in aviation and Aerospace.  We are comfortable with the “big jets” airlines operate to rapidly transport us across the country and world.  Commercial transport is the primary experience most have, as passengers in the back of the “big jets”.  They have little familiarity with the myriad of software and systems that enable the fly-by-wire aircraft to be the safest mode of transportation available today.  As a pilot and small airport owner, I have witnessed the general aviation (GA) community decline over the past two decades.  I also have watched the small UAS (unmanned aircraft system) begin to proliferate.  Pilots do not want to share the skies with drones, and the public has a difficult time separating real safety concerns from imagined notions of convenience or privacy invasion.  It is critical to educate the public from K-12 through adult about technology and policy issues facing this new age of “the drone”.  Without such engagement policy will largely be driven by the pilots who prefer to keep drones out of “their skies” battling the .coms who want to “fly for free” through our backyards.  There are obvious and subtle issues most have not considered.  Unlike government officials, I can use my voice to help educate the community in these matters.

Ella Atkins on Audience

Who do you interact with when working in education and/or outreach ? What makes this audience different from other groups that you might interact with?

I interact with K-12 students, UMich and other college students, and audiences ranging from the media and legislators to groups such as rotary, “retirees”, and pilot groups.  Each of these groups brings different pre-conceived notions on “drones”.  Kids and college students mostly want to “fly for fun”, so one must weave in a story of “how drones fly”, “how they are programmed”, and “how they will change package delivery et al” in the future.  While media and legislator discussions tend to target specific issues, other presentations, e.g., to retirees, focus more on policy and how society might need to evolve to support a very likely future where drones outnumber manned aircraft by at least an order of magnitude.

What suggestions do you have for making interactions with educators, learners, and/or lay-audiences as effective as possible?

Identify issues of contemporary interest and make sure they are woven into the presentation.  Spend as long as possible with the group – repeat exposure (over weeks and months) is far better than a single seminar followed by nothing more.  Establish skype/hangout preparatory and follow-on discussions with the group if it is not practical to engage them face-to-face for more than one seminar or event.

What is the biggest challenge you face when trying to work with educators, learners, and/or lay-audiences? What is the biggest reward?

The biggest challenge most face is explaining how things work in a manner that is sufficiently detailed and accurate while also being accessible.  In my case many audiences have very limited experience with software, physics-based modeling, and “autonomous systems”.  Fortunately, I work in robotics which can be made fun and accessible with cool demonstrations.  It is great to see people become excited about a technology and research area they either feared or denied was important previously.

What are you trying to accomplish when you write to or speak with educators, learners, and/or lay-audiences?

Certainly I try to convey specific pieces of information, e.g., how a quadcopter flies and how to operate them safely.  The specifics of what is conveyed, e.g., technology (physics/computer science/robotics), policy (privacy/legal issues), depends on the target audience’s average age, career area, and typical past experiences.

Ella Atkins on Narrative

Do you use stories or narratives as a tool to communicate with educators, learners, and/or lay-audiences? If so, what kinds of narratives?  What kinds of documents or presentations are most effective at capturing and maintaining a educators’, learners’, and/or lay-audiences’ attention? Would you mind providing a few examples (both “good” and “bad”) of the same kind of document or presentation?

Yes – I use stories of my own personal experiences and  of high-profile events (e.g., aircraft incidents everyone knows about – ideally non-fatal).  Videos and news clips seem to be effective means to convey information.  Quotes from well-known figures and connections between community jargon (e.g., pilots) and technological jargon (e.g., Aerospace autonomy) seem to be effective.

Good examples:  A video of an accident or playback of a data recorder (audio/data) motivating a group to “care” about aviation safety research;  irresponsible drone flight videos motivating a group to engage in open discussion of policy and privacy.

Bad example:  A video stating the “steps of problem solving” without being connected to the audience’s interests or background.  For example, I might present a force and moment balance model to a K-12 outreach group but if they’ve never studied physics “free body diagrams” themselves must be fun and accessible before they are applied to, say, quadcopter flight dynamics education.