| Abstract: | 自從網際網路開始盛行之後，各領域的學者無不對其可能造成的改變感到好奇，因 為網路提供了民主社會最重要的兩個元素—多元資訊及公眾參與機會。雖然目前關於網 路效果的研究主要還是集中在政治學的領域，但已經有愈來愈多的學者注意到網路能夠 在科學傳播中所扮演的角色，因為二十一世紀的人們每天都面對許多科學議題，包括核 能發電、、奈米科技、全球暖化等，這些科學議題不但複雜也極具爭議性。網路於是成 為了人們瞭解這些議題的首要管道，不僅如此，網路也提供了一個重要的平台，讓具有 不同立場的利害關係人相互溝通，進而找到彼此的共同點。 因此，本提案欲檢視網路、社群媒體的使用與眾多科學變項之間的關係，包括科學 知識、自我效能感與科學參與。為求深入地瞭解這層關係，本計畫著眼於兩群不同的使 用者，一是特定科學網站（Pansci泛科學網）的使用者，另一是台灣的大學生。前者可 幫助我們瞭解在這種具有多媒體及高互動特性的環境如何增進使用者的科學智能與參 與；而後者則能夠幫助我們描繪出一群高度網路使用者（大學生）利用網路接收訊息的 現況。
In light of the significant role played by the Internet, especially the emerging social media, this study aims to examine the effect of Internet use on how people deal with science in daily life, including the accumulation of scientific knowledge and the willingness to participate in scientific activities. In other words, this study investigates the potential for the Internet to make the public more scientifically literate and engaged. These two aspects are important for people living in the 21th century as they face more and more health and environmental issues/ threats pertaining to science and technology. In order to better equip people with the ability to deal with these issues, science communication researchers have considered a two-way, dialogic model to be an ideal way of communicating with the public. And the Internet can contribute greatly to this end because it provides virtually limitless amount of information as well as opportunities for people to exchange opinions, which are prerequisites for a more involved citizenry. Therefore, the role of the Internet warrants detailed and careful examination. This study propose look into the issue with a two-year study, focusing on how people use the Internet in general, social media in particular, to obtain information related to science and how this pattern of media use may influence their scientific knowledge, internal self-efficacy, and scientific participation. The first year of this study will focus on a group of specific online platform members (Pansci), whereas the second year will highlight college students in Taiwan. The purpose of choosing the two groups is that they, on the one hand, can help us understand how “users” of an online scientific media benefit from the platform. On the other hand, rather than surveying the general public whose use of scientific online media is rare, I choose college students because they are heavy Internet users and is a population with an unsatisfactory level of scientific literacy. Based on the survey of the two groups of people, we will be able to paint a clear picture regarding how Taiwanese people use the online media for scientific information and how such use, along with the characteristics of online media such as interactivity and user control, may help promote some positive outcomes desired by science communicators. |
