The Future of Education

Today’s widespread diffusion of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has accelerated the circulation of information and increased their speed. Although relevant benefits have been produced, thanks to the incredible spread and speed of information access, on the other hand this speed has also enlarged the demand for content, causing a tremendous downfall in accuracy and veracity of information. This phenomenon is particularly visible in the domain of scientific journalism. To counteract this negative consequence, Geoethics (defined as “research and reflection on the values which uderpins appropriate behavior and practices” in geosciences) indicates engaging in science communication as one of the responsibilities of a geoscientist. However, even if the relevance of this duty is almost universally recognized, geoscientists lack the proper digital skills to effectively use new medias. As most of the content shared and consumed on the internet is delivered through these new platforms (social medias, blogs, multimedia web-platforms, etc.), we contend that geoscientists should be trained in specific digital skills in order to improve the effectiveness of their science communication. Within this study, firstly, the above mentioned considerations will be proven through a literature review discussing the current state of scientific journalism and the relevance of teaching Geoethics at higher education level. Secondly, an analysis of the most needed digital communication skills for geoscientists will be conducted. Finally, building on the results reached in the previous sections, it will be presented a suggestion on the best way to include digital skills courses within the framework of Geoethics and geosciences. The innovative aspect of this research lays in its multidisciplinarity, as it links geosciences, science communication and ICTs. Moreover, as training in Geoethics has not been implemented in the geosciences curricula, yet, this paper aims to spread its knowledge and provide guidelines to its implementation at Higher Education.

Keywords: Education, Geoethics, Digital Skills, Science Communication.

References: 
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[2] Mogk, David; Geissman, John W.; Bruckner, Monica Z. (2017). Teaching Geoethics Across the Geoscience Curriculum: Why, When, What, How, and Where? [chapter]. In Gundersen, Linda C.  Scientific Integrity and Ethics in the Geosciences (pp. 231-265). American Geophisical Union, Hoboken, USA.
[3] Solarino, Stefano (2014). Geoethics and Communication 2: Ethics, the Notably Absent from the Internet, Engineering Geology for Society and Territory, Volume 7, Issue 1, (pp. 39-43).
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