A Poster.

Examples

Instructors looking to implement posters in the classroom can consider

using the backward design process to develop a poster activity aligned

with course learning outcomes.

The following examples provide approaches to this strategy:

• Concept Map -
  

• In order to tie together key concepts learned from the course, students work in groups to create a concept map, providing a window into their conceptual understanding. The instructor uses these maps as formative assessment.

• Common Poster Presentation -

•  Students choose a topic to investigate further for a class project, or carry out research for independent study or class. They display their main ideas on a poster and present it to the class, the instructor, or to attendees at a departmental poster session.
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• Problem-solving -
  

• Students in a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) course work in groups and are assigned particular problems to solve. They work out their solutions on posters.

• Before/After-Assessment of Knowledge - 
  

• Students are given a particular task such as developing a concept map or listing all of their knowledge about a particular topic at the beginning of a course or class session. The instructor saves these “pre-” posters. At the end of the course, or class, the students repeat that task.
  

• The instructor displays the “before-” and “after-” posters side-by-side and asks students to consider their learning progression.  The instructor also uses their posters to monitor whether they have reached particular learning outcomes.

• Diagram of a Process -
  

• For certain processes, visualization via a diagram can be useful for learning. An instructor presents the process to the class and asks the students to draw it out on large posters, which reinforces collaboration, varied learning, and skills application.

• Timeline -
  

• Students develop a timeline of major events learned on a poster. Examples could include: events leading up to a historical event such as the Civil War, geological time scales, or the life events of a particular historical figure.
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• Venn Diagram -

•  Students capture similarities and differences between the items under discussion in class by creating a Venn diagram.