麻豆视频

What happens when graduate students move from presenting research to evaluating it? A TILT-funded project led by Megan Barker found that serving as judges at an undergraduate research poster session helped graduate students build confidence, strengthen science communication skills, and begin seeing themselves not just as learners, but as contributors to the scientific community.

The Project

Megan Barker, senior lecturer in the Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, explored the impact of graduate student participation as judges in BPK408W, a fourth-year capstone course in which students conduct semester-long research projects and present their findings at a conference-style poster session. The project focused on graduate student judges who participated during the Spring 2024 offering of the course.

The idea emerged from informal conversations with graduate students who described poster judging as an opportunity to experience 鈥渢he other side鈥� of academic research. While faculty, postdoctoral fellows, staff, and graduate students all serve as judges, Barker wondered how the experience might contribute to graduate students鈥� professional development. Interviews with nine graduate student judges revealed an unexpected finding: many arrived feeling unqualified for the role, yet left with greater confidence in their ability to evaluate research, provide feedback, and participate in scholarly communities.

Project Highlights

One of the strongest themes was the growth in confidence that occurred during the event itself. Several participants described initial feelings of self-doubt, uncertainty, and imposter syndrome. As one participant reflected, judging helped them realize they no longer feared being evaluated themselves. Another noted that by the end of the session they felt significantly more qualified than when they began.

The experience also provided powerful perspective-taking opportunities. Graduate students empathized with undergraduate presenters while gaining a better understanding of what judges actually pay attention to. One participant observed that presenters often assume every detail is being scrutinized, but serving as a judge revealed that thoughtful reasoning and communication matter more than perfection. Others reported applying these insights to their own future presentations and science communication practices.

Benefits extended beyond the graduate students themselves. Undergraduate presenters received feedback from approachable near-peer role models, while graduate students practiced skills associated with academic careers, including evaluation, mentorship, questioning, and constructive feedback. The experience helped participants identify more strongly as scientists and researchers, even as they remained cautious about claiming the title of 鈥渆xpert.鈥�

Looking Ahead

The project has already influenced teaching practices within the course, including refinements to the poster session format and continued use of graduate students as judges. Barker notes that the work has also shaped her broader approach to partnering with graduate students in teaching and learning activities. The team is currently drafting a scholarly paper and sees potential for future conference presentations. More broadly, the findings suggest that giving graduate students authentic opportunities to evaluate, mentor, and provide feedback can be a powerful and transferable strategy for supporting professional identity development across disciplines.