Situating students in the scholarly conversation: poster sessions as a pedagogical tool for teaching...

POSTER SESSIONS AS A PEDAGOGICAL TOOL FOR TEACHING IL THRESHOLD CONCEPTS

APRIL 8, 2015 | LILAC 2015

Silvia Vong, Collaborative Learning Librarian Vincci Lui, Faculty Liaison & Instruction Librarian

SITUATING

STUDENTS IN THE SCHOLARLY CONVERSATION

OVERVIEW

• U of T Context• Threshold Concepts & Pedagogical Value

of Research Poster Sessions• Instruction Workshop Design • Student feedback

ST. MICHAEL’S COLLEGE @ U of T

• University of St. Michael’s College serves 4000+ undergraduate students• A federated college in

the University of Toronto

• Students are enrolled in a variety of programs (Business, Science, Social Sciences, Humanities, etc.)

THE SMC RESEARCH FORUM

• Initiative in collaboration with the Principal’s Office

• Workshops designed in collaboration between Humanities & Science librarians

• In 2014, there were 35 participants • 11 participants / Social Sciences

category• 10 participants / Sciences category• 14 participants / Humanities category

LITERATURE REVIEW

Social interaction was important to making the poster sessions a positive learning experience

(Chute & Bank, 1983; Gore Jr. & Camp, 1987; Baird, 1991; Sisak, 1997; Bracher, Cantrell & Wilkie, 1998; Orsmond, Merry, & Sheffield, 2006;Johnson & Green,2007; Stewart, 2008)

Excellent medium for learning

(Baird, 1991; Akister et al., 2000; Millset al., 2000; Altintas et al., 2014)

Seven studies were focused around poster sessions in the sciences

(Chute & Bank, 1983; Gore Jr. & Camp, 1987;Baird,1991; Sisak, 1997; Bracher, Cantrell, & Wilkie, 1998; Orsmond, Merry, & Sheffield, 2006; Johnson & Green, 2007)

ACRL Framework for IL in Higher Ed

● Authority is Constructed & Contextual● Information Creation as a Process● Information has Value● Research as Inquiry● Scholarship as Conversation● Searching as Strategic Exploration

● Authority is Constructed & Contextual● Information Creation as a Process● Information has Value● Research as Inquiry● Scholarship as Conversation● Searching as Strategic Exploration

ACRL Framework for IL in Higher Ed

“Engaging learners with threshold concepts means that teachers are focused on learners and are keen to have students construct meanings for themselves by reflecting, questioning, conjecturing, evaluating

and making connections with threshold concepts” (Zepke, 2013, p. 102)

Planning for 2015

2014 WORKSHOP SURVEY FEEDBACK

Q: What skills or experience did you gain from the SMC Research Forum?

✓ Poster Design ✓ Presentation Skills ✓ Learning to translate research in a different

medium or audience ✓ Networking with peers and faculty✓ Confidence

Q: What were three things you learned from the poster workshop or

consultation?

✓ Poster Design ✓ Presentation Skills

2014 WORKSHOP SURVEY FEEDBACK

2015 Workshop Objectives2015 WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES

✓Scholarship as Conversation✓Research as Inquiry✓Information has Value

✓ Poster Design ✓ Presentation Skills

WORKSHOP SURVEY - Demographics

• 35 forum participants• 9-question online survey• 67% response rate• Majority = 3/4th yr + entering

grad school• Soc Sci & Hum > Sci• 50/50 split in poster experience

• 13 forum participants• 3-question in-class paper survey• 54% response rate• Majority = 3/4th yr + entering

grad school• Sci > Soc Sci & Hum• 60% no poster exp*

2014 2015

2014 2 workshops/Hum & SS

2 workshops/Sci

20154 workshops/Sci

DURATION 1.5 hours 1 hour

INSTRUCTORS 2 librarians 2 librarians + past winner as guest speaker

ACTIVITIES

● Hands-on PowerPoint Lab

● Good vs. bad poster comparison exercise

● Interactive Info Cycle Activity● Critique of past forum winner

posters

CONTENT

● Info Life Cycle● Conference Culture● Presentation Skills● Poster Pros and Cons● Poster Forum Logistics

● Info Life Cycle● Conference Culture● Presentation Skills● Poster Pros and Cons● Poster Forum Logistics

WORKSHOP – Structure & Content

BOOK JOURNAL ARTICLE

PRESENTATION

ENCYCLOPEDIAREVIEW ARTICLE

THESISNEWS REPORT

GRANT

PATENT

X

X

THE ACTIVITY

Thesis before grant??

Starting...where?

Research is a cycle…

START……Includ[ing] more open ended questions in the presentation““…Comparing poster more, having us have a

few minutes to go through our elevator speech

…Move interactive activity in the beginning“

2015 WORKSHOP SURVEY FEEDBACK

STOP……research process could be removed to save time

“

“…no group participation

2015 WORKSHOP SURVEY FEEDBACK

CONTINUE…“

“ …examples of winning posters really helpful

…the process of research, the logistics section was very effective“

….conference culture tips, research cycle [were] really helpful… are otherwise not normally mentioned

2015 WORKSHOP SURVEY FEEDBACK

GOING FORWARD…

ReferencesAkister, J., Bannon, A., & Mullender-Lock, H. (2000). Poster presentations in social work education assessment: A case study. Innovations in Education & Training International, 37(3), 229-233. doi:10.1080/13558000050138461

Altintas, N. N., Suer, A. Z., Sari, E. S., & Ulker, M. S. (2014). The use of poster projects as a motivational and learning tool in managerial accounting courses. Journal of Education for Business, 89(4), 196-201. doi:10.1080/08832323.2013.840553

Baird, B. N., 1956-. (1991). In-class poster sessions. Teaching of Psychology, 18, 27-29. doi:10.1207/s15328023top1801_7

Bracher, L., Cantrell, J., & Wilkie, K. (1998). The process of poster presentation: A valuable learning experience. Medical Teacher, 20(6), 552-557. doi:10.1080/01421599880274

Chute, D., & Bank, B. (1983). Undergraduate seminars: The poster session solution. Teaching of Psychology, 10(2), 99.

Dunstan, M., & Bassinger, P. (1997). An innovative model: Undergraduate poster sessions by health profession majors as a method for communicating chemistry in context. Journal of Chemical Education, 74(9), 1067-1069.

Gore, P. A.,Jr, & Camp, C. J. (1987). A radical poster session. Teaching of Psychology, 14, 243-244. doi:10.1207/s15328023top1404_18

References (continued)Huddle, P. A. (2000). A poster session in organic chemistry that markedly enhanced student learning. Journal of Chemical Education, 77(9), 1154-1157.

Johnson, G., & Green, R. (2007). Undergraduate researchers and the poster session. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 34(2), 117-119.

Mills, P. A., Sweeney, W. V., DeMeo, S., Marino, R., & Clarkson, S. (2000). Using poster sessions as an alternative to written examinations--the poster exam. Journal of Chemical Education, 77(9), 1158-1161.

Orsmond, P., Merry, S., & Sheffield, D. (2006). A quantitative and qualitative study of changes in the use of learning outcomes and distractions by students and tutors during a biology poster assessment. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 32(3), 262-287. doi:10.1016/j.stueduc.2006.08.005

Sisak, M. E. (1997). Poster sessions as a learning technique. Journal of Chemical Education, 74(9), 1065-1067.

Stewart, T. (2008). Meta-reflective service learning poster fairs: Purposive pedagogy for pre-service teachers. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 8(3), 79.

Zepke, N. (2013). Threshold concepts and student engagement: Revisiting pedagogical content knowledge. Active Learning in Higher Education, 14(2), 97-107.

Image sources:

Photo credit: Vincci Lui

Photo credit: Silvia Vong

Photo credit: Ming Lin Adapted and used with permission.

QUESTIONS?

Silvia VongCollaborative Learning LibrarianUniversity of St. Michael’s College, University of Torontosilvia.vong@utoronto.ca

CONTACT

Vincci LuiFaculty Liaison & Instruction LibrarianGerstein Science Information Centre, University of Torontovincci.lui@utoronto.ca