A new chance for online science communication education and learning through TikTok

Abstract

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">The COVID-19 pandemic practice of social distancing has led to an increased usage of social media, which has highlighted the importance and potency of social media for effective science communication. As a result, it is now just as crucial to educate and acquire the skills necessary to use social media for science communication in an accurate and efficient manner. In response, we created a task that models and develops 21st century science communication abilities using the social media site TikTok. During the COVID-19 outbreak, TikTok, a platform for sharing short videos, had a dramatic rise in popularity. We demonstrated efficient social media science communication strategies by employing the condensed, targeted video format of TikTok to instruct students in fundamental science ideas and lab procedures. Students were then given the task of practicing excellent science communication at the conclusion of the semester by making their own educational and entertaining TikToks about the research projects that their teams had been working on. Here, we provide our methodology, a number of TikTok best practices, and sample videos made throughout the process for science communication education that are both effective and interesting.</span></p>