Dr. Michael Rivera’s course “All You’ve Ever Wanted to Know About Humans” demonstrates an innovative approach to teaching essential literacies for public engagement. By incorporating a range of multimodal assessment tasks – from social media posts and school talks to children’s books and YouTube videos – the course empowers students to share their scientific knowledge with diverse audiences. This emphasis on digital outreach and public-oriented projects not only strengthens students’ digital, visual, and communication skills, but also cultivates their ability to translate complex anthropological concepts into accessible, engaging formats. Crucially, the course positions students as ambassadors of knowledge, fostering a sense of ownership and investment in effectively communicating scientific findings.
Through this innovative curriculum, Dr. Rivera’s course exemplifies how integrating communication-intensive literacies can revamp traditional course assessments, ultimately preparing students to be impactful science communicators in the 21st century.
