Student Showcase Presentation Information

At Minnesota State Moorhead, our purpose is to transform the world by transforming lives. Few experiences are as life-changing as the opportunity to engage in original research or creative activity and present the results to our academic community.

Student Presenter Instructions
What is the difference between a poster presentation & an oral presentation?
 
Poster Presentation
Oral Presentation
Definition
Poster Presentation
A typical poster presentation involves the presenter(s) standing by a poster on an easel, and fielding questions from an audience which moves through the various posters.
Oral Presentation
A typical in-person or distance presentation involves the presenter and often some sort of visual aid (such as a PowerPoint) which the presenter uses to convey information about a topic. Audience members generally stay in the room for the whole presentation. Other oral presentations have included debates, lessons created by education students, original media productions, and original artistic performances.
Audience
Poster Presentation
The audience is mobile and random.
Oral Presentation
The audience is seated for the duration of the presentation.
Length of presentation
Poster Presentation
The presenter will spend an 80 minute session accompanying his or her poster.
Most interactions with audience members are around 5 minutes.
Oral Presentation
Typical presentation time is 20 minutes, with 3 minutes for transition from the previous presentation, 12 minutes for the student presentation, and 5 minutes for questions. All presentations should allow at least 5 minutes for questions.
Equipment
Poster Presentation
The presenter is given an easel and a specified location. No other equipment (electric cords, ethernet cables, tables, chairs, computers, etc.) is provided. If additional equipment is needed, please feel free to ask for it, but formal presentations will receive priority on computers, projectors, etc. Presenters are, however, more than welcome to bring their own laptops.
CRUCIAL NOTE: Posters must be RIGID to sit on the easels. If a poster is printed on poster paper, it will curl and fall off the easel unless attached to a firm backing. Many students had to run back to their department the day of the conference to scrounge cardboard for backing.
Oral Presentation
Standard provided equipment: P.C. computer, internet, & projector.
Different presentations need different equipment. There is a wide range of equipment available that you may request if needed (laptops, PowerPoint projectors, TV’s, DVD players, VCR players, sound/speakers, whiteboards).
Number presenting
Poster Presentation
Individual or group
Oral Presentation
Individual or group
How do I get started?

So you are interested in the Student Showcase, but you do not know what it is and you do not know what to do. Now what?

  • Meet with your mentor about your application and project. Discuss the topic, title, whether or not you need to apply for Institutional Review Board permission, project proposal, methodology, appropriate type of presentation (poster/oral presentation, performance, demonstration), group or individual presentation, special needs, time constraints, etc.
  • Apply online before March 31, 2027. Work on your presentation until April and present on April 20, 2027.

The table below provides detail for 4 possible paths to the Student Showcase depending on whether you are in independent study, a class with a large project, in a class that made you want to do more outside of class, or other.

Finding a Faculty Advisor for Student Showcase Presentations
Situation Person to Talk To Steps to Take Comments
Student working with a faculty member on independent study, creative work, or mentored research. The faculty member who is working with you is the obvious choice. Meet with your faculty member about presenting your work/findings. This is a great natural fit, and presenting at the Student Showcase is often a requirement in these cases.
Student in a class (or who has already completed a class) that has a large project (feasibility study, lesson plan, capstone). Talk to the instructor of that class first. If that instructor is not interested in being your Student Showcase advisor, another faculty member in the same field or your academic advisor might be interested. Discuss any modifications to the project you created for class that might need to be made to make it a good poster or presentation for the Student Showcase. In some cases, instructors have given extra credit in the class comparable to the extra work needed to create the Student Showcase presentation. This information is often in the syllabus.
Student who completed an activity in a class that really opened their eyes to an exciting issue in that field of study and made them want to learn more outside of class. As above, talk with that instructor first. If that instructor is not interested in being your Student Showcase advisor, another faculty member in the same field or your academic advisor might be interested. How can you take that idea further? Secondary research (reading the ideas of others) is one route. Primary research appropriate to that field of study, such as using existing data sets, conducting a survey, or performing an experiment, is another. This might lead to independent study/research as listed in the first row. Several good presentations have come from students who have taken a small in-class activity and expanded it as the basis for an independent study. The Student Showcase is a perfect forum for sharing the results of this independent study.
Other, for instance: member of a team, group, or student organization. Your organization's faculty advisor or coach would be the appropriate choice, if applicable. Failing this, your academic advisor is a possibility. Find a topic related to your group that has a broader public interest. While mere advertising posters are not appropriate ("Join the ____ club!"), your passion for your organization might give you an opportunity to do primary or secondary research. For instance, football concussions have been in the news lately. "Do rugby athletes (no helmets) have higher rates of concussions than football players?" might be a presentation that would interest many people and be of interest to members of either the football team or Rugby Club.
How do I write an project proposal?

Before applying, please make sure that you have the names, emails, and Dragon ID's of all participants in your group.

Please make sure you have discussed your presentation with your project advisor, including any IRB (Institutional Review Board, for ANY project involving human subjects) concerns if using human subjects in any way. You will need your advisor's email address.

Finally, if you are making a traditional, academic research presentation, you may find these links helpful as you write an abstract for your project:

How do I prepare a poster presentation?
  1. The suggested poster area is 3 feet high and 4 feet long.
  2. Student presenters will assigned to one 80 minute session. For posters in Session I from 9:40am to 11:00am, Session II from 12:40pm to 2:00pm, and Session III from 2:10 to 3:30.
  3. A few minutes before your session begins find your easel number and set your poster up—while we will provide you the easel, be sure to bring a board or something rigid where you can set your poster.
  4. When someone stops at your poster, you should provide a short overview of the project and answer questions a visitor might have. Try to respond in non-technical language unless you know the person is technically proficient. Students should be available for the duration of their session.
  5. When your session is over, take your poster down so the next presenter can set his or her poster up.
  6. Be sure to include your Presentation ID# (which can be found on the Student Showcase schedule after submissions close) and the evaluation link/QR code in your poster. The link and QR code are provided in the templates below.
  7. Prepare your poster using one of the following templates.
  8. Some additional tips for making your poster more readable:
    • The title of your paper and the author(s) names should be at least 1 inch high (font size 72)
    • The title of your paper should be at the top of the poster—the title and author(s) names on the center, left, or right of the poster
    • The font of the body should be at least 3/8 of an inch (font size 28)
    • Works cited or references should have a smaller font size than 28, suggested font size 22
    • The poster should be edited carefully
    • The poster should be printed (rare exceptions would be permitted)
    • The poster should have rigid backing, so please bring poster board

Poster Suggestions

When preparing your poster, ask yourself the following questions:

  • Would someone reading this poster walk away understanding the major findings or points of the paper?
  • Would a careful reader be able to ask relevant questions about my work?
  • Is the sequence of information clear? Use arrows, numbers, or letters to let the reader know the flow of information.
  • Include the major points only; leave less essential information for informal discussions.

In addition to a title and author label and abstract, most successful posters provide brief statements of introduction, method, procedure, results, and conclusions. Speak to your advisor for conventions specific to your field.

How do I prepare an oral presentation?
  1. Oral presentations will take place in the rooms assigned in the SAC schedule. Some presentations may be done remotely upon approval. Please contact Brian Yost for additional information.
  2. Presentations will be live, not recorded.
  3. There will be a monitor for each session.
  4. You will be presenting as part of a session where there will be other student presenters. The sessions last 80 minutes and start at 9:40 am, 12:30 pm, and 2:00 pm. Each presenter has 12 minutes to present and 5 minutes to answer questions from the audience, except in sessions specially arranged by the instructor in which case the length of a presentation may be different.
  5. Please plan to come to your room a few minutes before the session begins.
  6. Be sure to stay for the full length of your session – be there for those who present before you and stay for those who present after you. It is simple courtesy to other presenters.
  7. You should aid your presentations with slide, using the following template.
    • Make sure you fill in your Presentation ID# in the slide about evaluation.
    • Do not delete the slide with the QR code and link to presentation evaluation.
    • Sample Oral Presentation Template
Where do I print my poster?

Free Student Showcase poster printing is available if you use one of the provided templates and follow the upload instructions below. Free poster printing must be uploaded by 11:59 PM on April 9, 2027. Posters will not be accepted for printing after this deadline.

  • Please use one of the sample templates to prepare your poster.
  • Please ADD your presentation ID to the poster.
    • How to find your unique presentation ID
      1. In the Student Showcase portal, click the Edit button (pencil icon) next to the name of your presentation/abstract.
        Screenshot of Student View SAC portal with an arrow pointing to the edit button.
      2. Under the Presentation Details section, the first row is your Presentation ID. This is a numeric identifier (digits only). Use this number on your poster.
  • Please DO NOT REMOVE the QR code in the template – it is how people will submit their evaluations of your poster.
  • Please double check the QR code.
    • The correct QR code is below and is in the current version of the templates.
      SAC QRcode for poster evaluations
  • To have the poster printed for free upload your poster to the Student Showcase OneDrive folder by 11:59 PM on April 9, 2027.
    • Free printing will be done on a matte-finish poster paper. Talk to your mentor about whether this is sufficient or whether to go with a different option.

Please Submit Your 2027 Student Showcase Poster

These off-campus vendors can also print your poster with a 10-day turnaround time. Reach out to them directly.

  • Sign Badgers, West Fargo - 701.478.4440
  • Superfrog Signs & Graphics, Moorhead - 218.236.7000
  • Office Sign Company, Fargo - 701.526.3835
How do I share my work on RED?

Share your Student Showcase Work in RED

The Livingston Lord Library invites Student Showcase posters and presentations to be uploaded to RED, MSUM's Digital Institutional Repository. This online collection showcases research and publications by MSUM faculty, staff, and students.

Why submit your project?

Benefits of Submitting Your Work:

  • Share your research with prospective employers and graduate schools using one stable link.
  • Increase the likelihood of your project being cited by other scholars.
  • Track views and downloads of your project.
  • It's free and easy to submit.

View the Student Showcase collection in RED Student Submission Guidelines

Questions about RED? Contact: red@mnstate.edu