Pre-medical students’ view points on integrated poster presentations as a tool for learning medical science

Abstract

Background: A poster presentation is an experiential learning activity that stimulates curiosity and interest among students. Moreover, it encourages exploration and integration of concepts and provides students with a novel way to demonstrate their understanding of scientific principles. This pilot projects aimed to analyse views of participants on the academic benefits and learning of medical sciences via poster presentations. Methods: This cross-sectional study used the sequential exploratory type of mixed methods design in which quantitative data analysis was performed via survey-based questionnaires and qualitative study. For this purpose, we performed a thematic analysis of semi-structured interview questions that were administered to all participants using the self-interview technique. Results: A majority of students were of the opinion that the process of making poster preparation acted as an opportunity to promote deep learning. Moreover, a majority expressed that making these presentations required teamwork, which gave them an insight into collaborative learning. Conclusion: Our study revealed that poster presentations, when used effectively as an assignment, can facilitate a learner’s critical and reflective thinking and promoting active learning. Previous generic guidelines for making posters were found to be an important step that led to a systematic scientific approach amongst learners as well as for integrating basic science and medical knowledge.