This type of assessment is often a presentation and a dialogue based on a piece of work, the student did before the defense, either in a group or independently. Hence the student has a large degree of influence on what is presented and what is discussed.
As the preceding work is often of a substantial scale, involving different elements from the curriculum, students are often expected to demonstrate a holistic understanding, relating the different elements to each other.
This type of assessment can also be used to verify that students actually did or, in the case of group work, contributed to the preceding work.
This assessment type is sometimes used to test students' ability to express their learning in a visual format.
If done in courses with Ph.d. students, posters can be a very authentic type of assessment, as students can use it to practise making research posters.
The production of a graphical poster demands that the students get to the core of their exam topic. The students are asked to make a poster on their preliminary idea and thesis statement. The poster should contain reflections on the topic, method, and problem statement. The posters should be informative, interesting, and provide an overview of the whole exam process.
To read more about how to incorporate a poster-session in your course go to http://educate.au.dk/en/examples-of-practice/thesis-statement-poster-session/
