Spotlight on the PSCI 424 poster symposium
Excerpt from an article written by Kyra Rattansi and Sarah Seabrook on behalf of the Office of the Associate Vice-President, Academic
On March 26, 2026, the Department of Political Science hosted the Experiences in Political Science Poster Symposium, a vibrant showcase of undergraduate student research and experiential learning. The event served as the culmination of PSCI 424, a Student-Led Individually-Created Course (SLICC) designed to bridge the gap between abstract political theory and real-world application. Through academic posters, policy briefs, propaganda posters, and other forms of creative media, students in the course engaged members of the Waterloo community in discussions about their self-directed journeys—demonstrating what is possible when students are empowered to own their education.
Fostering student agency
PSCI 424 uses the SLICC Framework. This self-directed and reflective framework requires students identify a project topic of personal interest, conduct an audit of the skills needed to succeed, and determine assessment criteria. While the framework prioritizes self-direction, it also encourages peer engagement and feedback opportunities. Dr. Mariam Mufti, the course instructor, recognized that the weight of an individual capstone project requires a unique support structure. She intentionally opted to teach in an active learning classroom that facilitated the creation of “pods”—collaborative groups of three to five students working on similar themes or deliverables. These pods allowed students to seek feedback and peer support throughout the term, ensuring that, while they were working independently, they were never working alone. Student Miriam Pedrozo noted that working within a pod helped her persevere through the large undertaking of her research because they were "all doing this together."
Likewise, other students shared that this balance of self-directed accountability and collaborative support helped them build the confidence necessary to mobilize the knowledge they’ve learnt as political science majors and to translate that knowledge into work in the real world.