Animation of science culture – evaluation of courses and analysis of students’ attitudes

Abstract

One of the many tasks of a culture animator is cultural mediation, which relies on the assist of different types of audience interpretation of places and objects by active narration and require a dialogue with customers. His job also relies on creating a ‘stage’ which allows to give new meanings to different objects of cultural heritage (Caune, 1999; Da Lage & Gellereau, 2005). Moreover, the important thing in this job is the skills to rely on proper choice of aims and ways of communication with the audience based on knowledge about history of development of science and bases of public debate. Program of field of study ‘Animation of scientific culture’, which was implemented at the Pedagogical University of Cracow included education in the frame of such courses as ‘Interactions and communication platforms’, ‘Science and society’, ‘Bases of public debate’. There was an analysis of aims and scope of each of this courses and survey of students’ opinions about them.