Teaching Tip: Boost engagement through interactive student poster sessions
Do your students find traditional lectures uninspiring or struggle to grasp abstract ideas?
Lectures alone can leave students passive and disengaged, making it challenging for them to actively connect with course concepts.
Try this!
Organise low-tech in-person poster-making sessions where students collaborate in small groups to visually represent and explain key course concepts. Students then present their posters to their classmates and teachers, creating opportunities for active discussion and peer learning.
Addresses these teaching challenges:
- Passive student participation in traditional lectures
- Difficulty visualising and internalising abstract concepts
- Limited opportunities for peer collaboration
Image: Amélie Mourichon on Unsplash
Implementation
This activity can be run as a single in-class session or expanded into a multi-week group project.
- Divide the class into groups, allowing them to self-select or assign a specific concept to illustrate.
- Provide basic art supplies such as poster paper, markers, and paper cutouts.
- Allocate time specifically for poster creation in a collaborative setting.
- Conduct another class session where groups present their posters, encouraging questions and dialogue.
Pro tips
- Clearly explain objectives and provide specific criteria for poster development.
- Circulate the room actively to redirect off-task behaviour early, encourage broader thinking, and break down the teacher-student barrier.
- Structure poster presentations to facilitate constructive peer-to-peer feedback.
- Introduce small, engaging incentives like treats or recognition awards to boost motivation and creativity.
Potential challenges and solutions
High-energy activities can lead to noise levels and excitement that may overwhelm some students. Consider:
- Set noise level expectations collaboratively with students beforehand.
- Use timers or music cues to signal transitions and volume checks.
- Where possible, invite students to take their group to a quieter space.
Benefits
- Improved student engagement and enthusiasm for learning
- Enhanced understanding and retention through visual and collaborative learning
- Strengthened communication and teamwork skills
Teacher’s voice
“The poster sessions transformed the classroom dynamic, dramatically increasing student engagement and creating a lively, memorable learning experience.” – Christopher Squire
Try this variation
- For more depth, develop the posters as a group project over several weeks, with regular check-ins and scaffolded milestones.
- Facilitate digital poster sessions using University-supported tools such as Lucid.
- Invite students to use generative AI tools—the University’s recommended tool is Copilot—to create a draft version of their poster. Ask them to explain the content in their own words during their presentation.
Accessibility considerations
- Provide multiple ways for students to participate, including verbal explanations, digital creations, or written descriptions.
- Offer supports for students sensitive to high-energy environments such as advance notice of session structure.
Faculty: Science
Suitable for
Shared by
Christopher Squire
Faculty of Science