Use of Digital vs Printed Posters for Teaching and Learning in Pharmacy Education

Abstract

Objective. To characterize student pharmacists' perceptions of the use of posters as a learning tool and their preferences regarding digital posters compared to printed posters for presentation and review.Methods. Student pharmacists presented and peer-reviewed posters in a digital format using a tablet and an overhead monitor or in a printed format mounted on a poster board. The perceptions of two cohorts of pharmacy students were characterized by comparing their responses on pre- and post-activity surveys.Results. The pre- and post-activity surveys were completed by 543 students (95.3%) in the 2017-2018 academic year and 553 students (97%) in the 2018-2019 academic year, respectively. Over 95% of students perceived that the poster activity enhanced their poster creation, literature evaluation, and communication skills, while also improving their learning of pharmacy-related topics. There was a significant increase on the post-activity survey in the number of students who preferred the digital poster format, with students indicating that the digital format was straightforward (87.3%), enhanced their presentation (77.2%), and promoted learning (70.5%).Conclusion. Poster presentations provide a platform for the dissemination and discussion of topics and allow students to improve their presentation and communication skills. Digital posters represent a convenient, cost-effective, and preferred presentation method for pharmacy students compared to printed posters.