Practical Geocommunication

Geologize's acclaimed and flagship course teaches learners to powerfully communicate the geosciences to the general public. It is free to all staff and students at the University of New England.

UNE Access

Globally Accredited Training

Petroleum Exploration Society of Great Britain

Introducing Practical Geocommunication

How can geoscientists help people feel invested in our planet and change their behaviour? How can we drive more students to embark on careers that will be essential to the sustainability of society? How can we improve the image of the geosciences in academia and industry?

Find out how 'Practical Geocommunication' delivers solid and actionable solutions to your geoscience outreach and what academics and professionals from around the world have said about the course.

Leisure Solutions®

Supporting the University of New England

Leisure Solutions® generously supports the UNE to provide free access to Practical Geocommunication. Please click the button below to find out more about them!

Visit Leisure Solutions®

Angus M Robinson

Director - Leisure Solutions®

There is falling interest and university enrollment in geosciences worldwide. This situation has resulted in a chronic lack of talent for geoscience-related industries essential to the energy transition and a low-carbon future. The Australian Geoscience Council Inc (AGC) is passionate about geoscience and what it has to offer. In the broadest sense and believes that geotourism provides one of the best ways to communicate the value of geoscience to the broader Australian community. By connecting geological heritage with other aspects of the area’s natural and cultural heritage (and most significantly, Aboriginal heritage), geotourism enhances awareness and understanding of the key issue of using our earth’s resources sustainably.

Outward-facing communication strategies must be implemented in a way that helps the public see the relevance and importance of the geosciences to their own lives. Hence the AGC is currently implementing the National Geotourism Strategy (NGS).

However geoscientists are not trained as public communicators. And when they do public outreach, they often preach to the converted: those who are already curious about the natural world. Sizeable as that target audience may be, it can be safely said that they are the minority, and it is not large enough to stem the flow of students to other academic areas. We need to widen our outreach net. So how do we capture the majority who feel no real stake in understanding the planet? By one measure, Goal 7 of the NGS aims to develop and enhance the geoscience interpretation and communication skills of everyone actively involved in the presentation of geosites, enabling the provision of accurate and thematic information in an accessible manner

Geologize LTD is a British-based company that trains geoscientists to connect with the public powerfully. Their on-demand training, Practical Geocommunication, is available at eight universities in Australia. The latest to come on board is the University of New England, thanks to sponsorship from Leisure Solutions®, which specialises in geotourism initiatives and partnerships, and is active in supporting activities of the professional society members of the AGC. It is hoped that UNE, which already boasts strong credentials in public education and outreach, will further benefit by offering Practical Geocommunication to all staff and students.

Angus M Robinson

Director - Leisure Solutions®

October 2022

What you'll get...

Instant Access

Full access to Practical Geocommunication, the critically acclaimed program for geoscientists.
Community

The ability to share your work with others during the course. Get their feedback as well as the instructors'.
Bonus worth $200

A wealth of exclusive bonus material from globally recognised guest speakers from different communication areas.

Exclusive Bonus Content

Geologize provides a rich set of bonus material. Listen, learn and engage with other world leaders to deepen your knowledge and understanding of communication strategies and techniques.

What Others Have Said...

Thoroughly enjoyed this course

Beth McLarty Halfkenny

The course theme of Geoscience Communication is an important and timely one. The practical part of the course is found in the exercises accompanying each section, allowing for immediate examination of the ideas presented with respect to our own context. I will be able to use the activities completed during this course to help me better connect to and think about the needs of various audiences. Thank you!

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Essential training

Gareth Digges La Touche

Simply excellent. This course sets out to equip geoscientists with better communication skills. It achieves that. The course is relevant not only to geoscientists in academia, but also to those in industry.

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Awesome course

Gordon Stove

Just completed this course in one go. Once I started, I couldn't stop! A wealth of information, tips and learnings. Absolutely brilliant course!

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Thoroughly enjoyable

Juan Cottier

Fun to do. Dr Haydon Mort has a compelling manner. The content was great. I feel better informed on completion. Thanks!

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Lots of useful methods and approaches for Geocommunciating

David Limmer

Really enjoyable, easy to follow course, lots of extremely useful tips and tricks for mastering communicating. Very logical and lots of useful exercises to try.

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Very engaging and a must for all scientists (not just geoscientists!)

Rosalie Constable

I highly recommend this course. It provides practical advice and examples in an engaging and thought-provoking way, supported by tasks and assignments to reinforce the key points of each class. I now feel I have a much better understanding of how I can more effectively communicate with non-scientists. I would recommend this course for scientists of any background as the concepts could be easily applied across any discipline.

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Insightful, Engaging and Thought-provoking

Lewis Lawrence

Excellent course if you are a Geoscientist and feel like the communication between the geosciences and the public has a poor relationship. Dr Mort does a fantastic job at bringing new ideas to the table in the quest to bridge the gap between the p...

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Switching the context

Benjamin Lepley

I took the course with the aim of improving my methods of communication but actually learnt that I was thinking about the entire concept wrong. It is not about teaching or lecturing but understanding the communcation from the participants' viewpoint and making an emotional connection to allow for any information to be retained. I highly recommend the course for anyone wishing to take a relatively complex and specific topic to the public.

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Superb! A must for anyone who's thinking about public outreach.

Peter Taylor

What a fantastic course! So much useful information and the clearest breakdown you'll find about how to build an effective communication strategy. I can't recommend it highly enough.

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An eye-opener

Sikandar Hayat

It is an eye-opener course. It made me realize how important geocommunication is and how far-reaching its impacts are. I will utilize all the skills I learned here to play my role in the betterment of earth sciences and society.

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Curriculum

Find out what makes 'Practical Geocommunication' your one-stop shop for all your communication needs in the geosciences.

Why communicate the geosciences? Case studies demonstrating our ethical obligation to communicate.
From neurology to orating. The science and practice of effective communication in the geosciences.
The power of analogy and linguistic tools. Geologizing and transposing geoscientific content into everyday concepts.
Identify distortions in the media and strategies to stand up effectively to them. Particular emphasis on climate change.
Strategies to promote powerful social media engagement in the geosciences. Case studies and practical activities.
Strategies for geoparks and geotourism projects to help them improve their audience demographics and engagement.
Bonus material, quizzes, assignments, certificates.

FAQs

Some questions we get asked a lot.

What is the teaching method?

Each lesson begins with a big question to get your neurons firing. Then comes the lesson itself. The lesson always includes at least one practical activity in the middle or near the end. There are often assignments (not compulsory) and quizzes to test for understanding of essential elements.
How long will it take me to do the course?

You can work through the course at your own pace. However, if you wished to work on the course intensely, completing the work as required, you could probably finish in around 15 hours.
Is there a certificate available at the end?

Absolutely. Upon completion of the course (the main video lessons are compulsory elements), you will be provided with a personalised certificate with the logos of all the endorsing organizations.

Instant Access

Community

Bonus worth $200