Poster session for BS 400 Senior Seminar

On Wed 20 Nov 2024, BS 400, the capstone Senior Seminar course for Biology majors met for the last time this semester. The students presented posters they had made to other students and faculty in the department.

Dr. Travis Hagey, Associate Professor of Biology, is the instructor for the course this semester. As the students’ final project in the course, Dr. Hagey had students choose a journal article of their choosing out of the scientific literature. Most students chose papers related to their career interests and aspirations.

The project is designed to help students learn how to interpret, critically assess, and summarize published research. But, on Wednesday, the Senior Seminar students practiced their science communication skills. They presented their posters with quick 5 minute summaries to other students in the department.

Dr. Hagey gave the students training in how to create posters, and the department paid to have them printed up. The Senior Seminar students then focused on presenting the information in a clear, concise manner to students hearing it for the first time.

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.