In addition to all of our guest speakers in our Senior Seminar course for Biology majors (BS 400), last week students presented posters they had made to other students and faculty in the department. As the students’ final project in the course, students found a journal article from of the scientific literature related to their career interests and aspirations.
Students learned how to create posters, focusing on interpreting, assessing, and summarizing their papers in addition to improving their science communication skills. They presented their posters with quick 5 minute summaries to other students in the department (general biology students from my other course). Presenting students were assessed by their peers, who were given rubrics to anonymously evaluate each poster presentation they heard. Rubrics were returned to the presenting students to learn how they did.
Biology majors at MUW get individualized feedback, giving them the chance to learn valuable skills in both how to understand and how to communicate advanced concepts in their field.
