Using conferences poster presentations as a tool for student learning and development

Abstract

This paper offers an insight into the use of poster presentations as a means of helping students prepare and develop their arguments for their final project work to be submitted for assessment. The five students, all from a Masters in Social Work course in Gothenburg, Sweden participated in an international conference in Bratislava, Slovakia. The use of poster presentations, understood in this paper from a constructionist theory of education perspective, also created the opportunities for building student’s self-confidence and helping them develop their own academic voice. Furthermore it is argued that this process helped scaffold their knowledge building before the final submission of their course work.

Keywords:

• Posters
• scaffolding
• learning tool
• conference participation