1) To provide students with a range of theoretical paradigms relevant to industry, retail, management, security, law enforcement and defence processes (including decision-making, leadership and communication).

2) To introduce students to both traditional and naturalistic paradigms and the recent research that synthesises the two (dependent on time pressure, stress and context).

3) To introduce students to differences in ''sender'' messsages and ''receiver'' perceptions, to the psychology of framing risks and understanding probabilities.

4) To introduce students to the mechanisms by which high-reliability organisations can more effectively and accurately transmit messages about risk (especially low risk, high consequence messages).

5) To consider the effect of social med ia on the communication outwards and on concequences (perceptually) of risk.

Students will be able to critically evaluate similarites and differences between traditional and naturalistic theories of decision-making, and judge their applicability to their sphere of interest.

Students will be able to discuss how group cohesion, leadership and effective communication can influence decisions.

Students will be able to identify how environmental and organisational factors impact upon effective decision-making and communication.

Students will recognise the value of scenario-based learning to consider the impact of transmitting messages about risk and uncertainty in complex environments.

The following core areas will be covered, but the individual topics may change dependent on staff expertise:

•  Traditional and Naturalistic Approaches to Decision-Making in Critical Incidents.
  
• Crowd Dynamics, Applications and Interventions, along with Communication between Groups (intra- and inter-agency)
  
• Communications from industry to the public.
  
• Public understanding of science and technology (applied to risk-related industries).
  
• High performance computing for the appraisal, analysis and communication of risk and uncertainty.
  

Lecture - A series of lectures from core teaching staff and industrial partners, with the overall focus being on the issues outlined in the aims and outcomes. Sessions from industrial partners will provide a business context to the concepts covered, which will ensure an engaging balance between theory and practice.

Seminar - Students will be tasked with designing and delivering a small scale self-generated press conference video, in order to develop the promotion of academic ideas via public speaking, communication, organisational and collaboration skills. Students will be divided into groups and will answer a series of questions concerning the communication of risk and uncertainty to the general public. Communication experts from industry and academia will provide guidance on how to engage with the general public and transmit ideas effectively.

Tutorial - The students will attend a 3-day course on computational methods at the Hartree Centre delivered by core staff. They will have to solve an exercise designed to tackle a practical problem using computational tools and communicating the technical solution in a non-technical manner.

Laboratory Work/practicals - In order to demonstrate both pre-and post-incident reviews of communication and risk in uncertain environments, students will participate in an electronic focus group debriefing session using 10kV software – the same software that is used by law enforcement, security and defence services, and by local authorities, to examine successes and learning points in evaluating decisions and associated risk.

Project - Drawing from the presentations from industry, students will communicate in a 2-page newsletter article the aspects that are relevant to industrial partners. They should propose a way in which their studies will impact the practice of an industry partner by improving their business activity.