Physics

Creating Posters

Poster presentations are commonly used in the academic community and are often included in conference programs. Well done posters can effectively synthesize key information and research and raise awareness about topics and issues.

A typical poster usually includes brief text, tables, graphs and/or images.  A good poster is visually appealing, concisely presents the topic enunciated in the title and includes:

• A title that draws attention, and is short and readable from a distance
• No more than about 800 words of text that is organized into sections labeled with appropriate headings
• Graphs, tables or other visual means of presenting relevant data
• Image/s that illustrate key information

The following resources can help you plan, design and create a poster that successfully presents the topic of your choice:

• Designing communications for a poster fair (by the Teaching and Learning with Technology for the use of the McNair Scholars Program at Penn State University)
• Writing Guides : Overview of Poster Sessions (by the Writing Center, Colorado State University)
• Poster and Presentation Resources (by The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Graduate School)
• Research Poster Overview (Purdue Online Writing Lab)

• How to Create a Research Poster (by NYU Libraries)

Software for posters

There are several software products you can use to create a poster. Each of the following has some advantages or disadvantages. Your choice of software will depend on your preference, skills and ease of access to the following:

• Microsoft Powerpoint
• Microsoft Publisher
• Adobe Illustrator
• Adobe InDesign
• OpenOffice Impress
• Gimp

Note: UHWO Information Technology offers Microsoft Office365 for all qualified faculty, staff and students.

Creating Podcasts

Podcasting assignments can provide students with the opportunity to engage with the subject from a different perspective using a different medium of communication. Audio files podcasts can be created for a general public, giving podcasters a chance to reach a wider audience.

The following resources can help you plan and create a podcast to present a topic for your course.

• Creating a Podcast: a guide to the basics of creating a podcast (Cal Poly Humboldt library guide)
• Podcasting Tutorials (Penn State Teaching and Learning with Technology)
• The Audacity to Podcast (a podcast about podcasting by D. J. Lewis)

For students in PHYS 100L, PHYS151L, and PHYS152L courses