"Seeing for myself what it's like on the other side": Graduate students develop research skills & science professional identity by judging at an undergraduate poster session

TILT Program: TILT SoTL Project

Principal investigator: Megan Barker, senior lecturer, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science

Project team: Philippe Fernandez-Fournier, research assistant

Timeframe: March 2024 to July 2025

TILT Support: $2550 and up to 30 hours of TILT research assistant hours.

Course addressed: BPK408W -- 4th year capstone course with independent scientific research projects

Final report: View Megan Barker's final report (PDF)

Description:

This project explored how graduate students develop research skills and professional identity by serving as judges at undergraduate poster sessions. In BPK408W, students complete semester-long independent research projects concluding in a conference-style poster session where graduate students join faculty members as evaluators. Past conversations with former student judges revealed this experience was professionally meaningful, prompting investigation into three key areas: graduate perspectives on their judging experiences, their developing professional identity as scientists and researchers, and meaningful aspects of the experience for continuous improvement.

The study revealed significant impacts on both graduate and undergraduate student learning. Graduate students initially experienced nervousness about their qualifications but gained confidence through the iterative judging process. They developed empathy for presenters while gaining valuable perspective in their evaluative role, seeing themselves as distinct from both undergraduate presenters and senior faculty member judges. Participants reported enhanced science communication skills and varied takeaways based on their experience level, with some achieving breakthrough perspectives on academic hierarchy and expertise. Findings demonstrate that involving graduate students as educational partners supports their professional development while providing authentic conference experiences for undergraduates. 

Questions addressed:

• What were the experiences of graduate student poster judges during the poster session?
• How do graduate students perceive their own identity as scientists, researchers, and experts after serving as judges?
• What recommendations do graduate students make to improve their own and undergraduate students' experiences and learning?

Knowledge sharing: Results will be shared through academic conferences and peer-reviewed publications. The approach has already influenced other instructors in the course to incorporate graduate students as poster judges, and findings are being shared with colleagues at SFU and other institutions who may adopt similar educational partnerships.

Keywords: Peer evaluation, Students as Partners, graduate student development, professional identity formation, undergraduate mentorship, STEM education