Communicating Science: the Impact of the Social Web on the Interaction Between Science, Communicators, and STEM Teachers

The contribution examines the impact of the social web on the interaction between science communicators and STEM teachers. It specifically investigates the dual role of mediators - recognized both as technical systems of mediation and as social entities - within the realms of exchange, generation, and dissemination of scientific knowledge and citizenship (Carenzio, Ferrari, Pasta, 2024); these mediation processes are situated in the scenario of "digital plenitude" (Bolter, 2019) marked by the stratification of a more complex and articulated "media patchwork". Thus, it fits into the reflection on social web both as an opportunity for teaching and as a new informational ecosystem, whose logics impact the way scientific topics are treated (Annacontini, 2023). During the health crisis caused by COVID-19, these communicative dynamics are partly related to the phenomenon defined by recent literature as “science-related populism” (Mede & Schäfer, 2020), which emerged in forms of contestation of the official science called to direct and legitimize government action for managing the pandemic, eventually merging with organized hate groups (Pasta, 2021). In the first stage, online profiles (individual or collective) followed by teachers to find information and educational materials on scientific issues have been explored. A survey facilitated the delineation of these profiles, which were subsequently scrutinized concerning individuals' biographical details, educational backgrounds, conversational tactics, and modes of communication. The data collected in the survey allowed for the identification of 10 profiles of disseminators on which a desk analysis was conducted to answer the second research question: from who they are, we moved on to how they communicate. This analysis was conducted employing a framework grounded in the semio-pragmatic examination of their enunciative selections, as outlined by Rivoltella (2010). It is based on four dimensions: narrative, textual, communicative, didactic. These are therefore very different references, but we can identify three ideal types, applicable to both individual and collective profiles. - Disseminators who, after scientific studies, have established themselves through the production of materials aimed at dissemination on the social web. This activity becomes their main professional activity or significantly complements their primary one. They are almost always present on multiple social media platforms and sometimes also in traditional media (radio and television). They have a pop communication style and produce materials designed from the outset for the social web, which can be used by both teachers and students. - Professionals (journalists, university professors, scientists) who, after establishing themselves in their field of research, engage in scientific dissemination for different reasons (personal choice, academic assignment, professional commitment). The social channel and the products they disseminate are almost never the main vehicle of their social affirmation. - Teachers of various school levels who, alongside their teaching activities, share resources experimented with in the classroom on the social web (worksheets, videos, teaching plans). In this case, the static web is also relevant as it serves as an archive with a repository function for teaching materials. In the second stage, the concerns elucidated through analysis have guided qualitative interviews with science communicators engaged in social media platforms, while concurrently facilitating focus group discussions involving STEM educators. This comparative approach seeks to discern shared challenges about the interface between Science Education and Media Education, particularly within the frameworks of facilitating scientific knowledge dissemination. In conclusion, it is worth recalling an issue historically connected to dissemination (Grandi, 2022): - pedagogical intentionality, which is often not devoid of elements of spectacle and entertainment when scientific paradigms are presented (Faeti, 2018). From the examples analyzed, it is evident that simplifying the language does not mean trivializing the content or sacrificing scientific rigor (Gouthier, 2019). Disseminators know that the social media user does not have a lot of attention to invest, and what little they have must be directed toward the content; thus, the simplicity of the language gives greater importance to the content and removes linguistic barriers to comprehension (Lacriola, 2020). The crossplatform success of some disseminators- from social media to traditional media, to places of knowledge and classical education - debunks the idea that knowledge alone is sufficient for communication and that the public must strive to "elevate" themselves. Also connecting to the debate on teacher training, we believe it could be interesting to continue mapping the relationship between teaching and scientific dissemination, highlighting how the social web brings about changes.