This assessment is underpinned by a pedagogy that positions 'inquiry' as an authentic means to guide investigative learning in response to a topic, problem, issue or concern. Students design a learning activity and present it in A3 poster format using visual and textual information. Additionally, students must prepare a 2-minute oral synopsis in which they discuss the salient features of their posters in front of course staff and peers. Students are free to choose from a range of topics (of disciplinary relevance) to form the basis of their inquiry-based learning activity. In EDUC1708, students choose from topics that are suitable to the Australian Primary School Curriculum such as climate change, migration and multiculturalism, or reconciliation. This assessment is particularly well-suited to Education courses, due to its emphasis to build foundational knowledge for pre-service teaches when teaching into HaSS subjects within an Australian Primary School context. However, this technique has a wide utility as it teaches students multi-literacies and provides in-depth knowledge in field through learning by questioning, as well as opportunities for peer learning through engagement with other student posters that can effectively serve as learning resources.
Details
- CLASS SIZE
- 100-500
- CLASS LEVEL
- First year
- ASSESSMENT SECURITY
- Medium security
- TIME REQUIREMENTS
- Low time
- CONDITIONS
- Identity verified
- FEATURES
- Authentic
- TAGS
- presentation, peer-led learning
Advantages
This assessment caters to student diversity by encouraging students to explore various modes of visual production and communication. Teaches high level abstract communication (visual, textual, and oral), mapping onto a key UQ Graduate attribute. Although this assessment has been designed to map directly onto the Australian Curriculum (and is therefore tailored to education), it has wide transferability across the HaSS faculty as it fosters multi-literacies and introduces students to the notion of inquiry – an integral element of Humanities and Social Science research
Challenges
Visual tasks can appear ambiguous to students. Cohorts are guided in staff expectations for a high quality poster that thoroughly investigates the topic of interest.Staff can address this ambiguity by teaching the expectations for a high quality poster that thoroughly investigates the topic of interest, one model for this is exploring exemplary models.
Tips for implementation
Coordinators might consider scheduling poster oral presentations as part of a showcase, where students collectively celebrate and discuss the works they've produced. The addition of a class vote (or people's choice award) for the most effective poster may further serve to increase engagement and promote collegiality.
How it supports academic integrity
Students are required to give an observed oral presentation where they speak to, and field questions, related to their posters. Where the poster and the preparation could theoretically be outsourced, asking students to speak candidly to their work may act as a deterrent to this type of misconduct, as students must demonstrate a thorough understanding of the content they have produced.
Dr Linda Willis
l.willis@uq.edu.au