Professional Skills - Graphic Communication and Facilitation

1.5 EC

Semester 2, period 6

5224PSGC2Y

Owner Master Biological Sciences
Coordinator dr. Eleni Spyropoulou
Part of Master Earth Sciences, Master Biomedical Sciences, track Oncology, Master Biomedical Sciences, track Cognitive Neurobiology and Clinical Neurophysiology, Master Biomedical Sciences, track Psychopharmacology and Pathophysiology, Master Biomedical Sciences, track Infection and Immunity, Master Biomedical Sciences, track Cell Biology and Advanced Microscopy, Master Biomedical Sciences, track Experimental Internal Medicine, Master Biomedical Sciences, track Molecular Neurosciences, Master Physics and Astronomy, Master Biomedical Sciences, track Physiology of Synapses and Networks, Master Biomedical Sciences, track Developmental and Therapeutic Biology, Master Biomedical Sciences, track Medical Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Master Biomedical Sciences, track Cardiovascular Sciences, year 1Master Biological Sciences,
Links Visible Learning Trajectories

Course manual 2023/2024

Course content

This course is part of the Professional Skills learning trajectory and focuses on graphic communication and facilitation. 

Only words are not always attractive and long pieces of text can sometimes be more confusing than enlightening. “A picture is worth a thousand words”; in one image it can be clear what your story or message is about. Moreover, your listeners will also remember your story better when you use illustrations, because they create a mental picture of your drawings.

In this course you will overcome potential fear of drawing, learn how to best convey your story and learn about design principles (composition, colors, hierarchy text, etc.) that can be used when communicating through visuals. You will not only draw on paper, but also use graphical software to produce professionally-looking graphics and animations.

Throughout this course, you will work on a personal end project (graphical abstract, poster or short animation) allowing you to bring learned skill into practice.

Study materials

Software

  • (free) graphic software Gimp, Figma and LottieFiles

Other

  • further materials will be available on the course Canvas page

Objectives

  • The student can apply basic rules of composition and use of light to produce professionally-looking graphics
  • The student can use graphical software to produce professionally-looking graphics and animations
  • The student can apply the theory behind graphic facilitation and recording to create visual stories (e.g. to guide a meeting towards a goal).

Teaching methods

  • Seminar
  • Working independently on e.g. a project or thesis
  • Supervision/feedback meeting
  • Self-study
  • Presentation/symposium

Learning activities

Activity

Hours

  

workgroups

18

  

Self study

24

  

Total

42

(1.5 EC x 28 uur)

Attendance

Requirements of the programme concerning attendance (OER-B):

  1. Attendance during practical components exercises is mandatory.

Additional requirements for this course:

To meet the course objectives, participation in the workgroups, group discussions, peer feedback and student interaction is essential. Active participation during all sessions is therefore mandatory. If you are unable to attend a session, contact the course coordinator prior to the session to discuss your options for passing the course. Missing more than two sessions will result in a negative assessment (fail; “NAV”) of the course.

Assessment

Item and weight Details

Final grade

In this course you are assessed for your final assignment with a pass or fail based on a rubric.

Fraud and plagiarism

The 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' applies to this course. This will be monitored carefully. Upon suspicion of fraud or plagiarism the Examinations Board of the programme will be informed. For the 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' see: www.student.uva.nl

Course structure

Week 1

During the first session we'll first discuss the setup of this course. Furthermore, you will grab some pens and markers and 'get your hands dirty'. In this session you will get some hands-on experiences which will come in handy in the upcoming  weeks. During the second session we'll discuss the principles of making an appealing poster and you will start making your own. 

Week 2

In week two you'll get acquainted with the web design tool Figma and also learn the basics of image processing in Gimp.

Week 3

In week three you’ll learn about creating short animations using the video editing software LottieFiles.

Week 4

In the last session, you will present your end project and will give and receive feedback. You can use the given feedback to finalize your product.

Honours information

The Professional Skills- Graphic communication and facilitation credits do not count towards a cum laude degree

Contact information

Coordinator

  • dr. Eleni Spyropoulou