Comparing Mentor and Mentee Perspectives in a Research-Based Undergraduate Mentoring Program

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet Y. Tsai ◽  
Daria Kotys-Schwartz ◽  
Beverly Louie ◽  
Virginia Ferguson ◽  
Alyssa Berg
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Retention Rate ◽  
Mentoring Relationships ◽  
Mentoring Program ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Engineering Research ◽  
Reflective Questions ◽  
Undergraduate Mentoring

At the University of Colorado Boulder (CU), a research-based undergraduate mentoring program is now in its second year of implementation. The program, Your Own Undergraduate Research Experience (YOU’RE@CU) has three main goals: improve the retention rate of diverse groups in undergraduate engineering, build undergraduate interest in engineering research, and prepare graduate students to take on leadership roles in either academia or industry-based research careers. In YOU’RE@CU, undergraduate students are paired with a graduate mentor and work in the graduate student’s lab several hours a week. Undergraduate mentees enroll in a one-credit seminar course focusing on research and graduate school opportunities, and are assessed via pre- and post-surveys to gauge their excitement and interest in engineering. The undergraduates also respond to biweekly qualitative reflective questions while participating in the program. Graduate mentors complete several reflective questions about their experiences and are required to complete pre- and post-assessments. Adopting a person-centered, case study approach, this paper focuses on two telling examples of research-based mentoring relationships in the YOU’RE@CU program. Given identical mentor training through YOU’RE@CU, two graduate students start the Spring 2012 semester by meeting with their mentees to launch a research project. By examining application, pre-survey, reflective questions, and post-survey responses from these four participants, the differences in the trajectory of the two paired mentoring relationships can be clearly seen over the course of one semester. This close examination of two disparate mentoring relationships is instructive in understanding the subtle details that create either a positive learning environment or an uncomfortable lab situation for young engineers, and assists program administrators in making improvements in subsequent years.

Assessing Efficacy of a New Research-Oriented Peer Mentoring Program: YOU’RE@CU

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet Y. Tsai ◽  
Daria Kotys-Schwartz ◽  
Virginia Ferguson ◽  
Beverly Louie
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Student Interest ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Engineering Research ◽  
University Of Colorado ◽  
New Research ◽  
The University

At the University of Colorado, Boulder, a new program designed to link graduate students with 1st and 2nd year undergraduate students through engineering research projects and mentoring relationships was initiated in Spring 2011. Your Own Undergraduate Research Experience at the University of Colorado (YOU’RE@CU) has three main goals: (1) increase retention of undergraduate students in engineering, particularly women and underrepresented minorities (URMs); (2) excite undergraduate student interest in research projects and future careers in academia or industry; (3) provide graduate students with training and hands-on mentoring experience with the expectation that this will positively influence graduate student choices to seek a career in academia. This paper illustrates the details of the YOU’RE@CU program during its pilot implementation in Spring 2011. The assessment strategy and methods are also explained, with presentation of qualitative data and discussion of the overall data analysis process.

Fostering Undergraduate Research Through Collaboration With Local Engineering Companies

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Schonning ◽  
Daniel Cox
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Impact Resistance ◽  
Engineering Industry ◽  
Mentoring Program ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Test Fixture ◽  
Test Configuration ◽  
Engineering Research ◽  
Pull Out

This paper discusses the importance of introducing the undergraduate engineering student to research; it provides examples on how research has been integrated with the curriculum, and how the local engineering industry provides engineering research projects for the students. One research project includes the development of a test fixture to be used in determining the pull-out strength of screws in a biomaterials substrate. Another example presented is the development of a test configuration for determining the under water impact resistance of acoustic windows. Furthermore, a research project will be presented on the creation, testing and analysis of bone cement specimens. Through these projects students learn valuable skills such as performing literature review of a technical topic, developing a statement of work, establishing a research plan, learning appropriate software and hardware tools, carefully documenting their work, analyzing results, writing papers, and presenting their work at conferences. This paper provides details on how these skills are developed through the students’ research experiences and how they will benefit the students upon graduation. In order to expose a large number of undergraduate students to research it is helpful to develop some form of a mentoring program where students learn from each other. The paper describes how this mentoring program is organized and provides details of how the students interact with their peers, the faculty members and representatives from the local industry.

scholarly journals Early year undergraduate researchers’ reflections on the values and perceived costs of their research experience

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaye D. Ceyhan ◽  
John W. Tillotson
Keyword(s):  
Achievement Motivation ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Intrinsic Value ◽  
Value Theory ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Expectancy Value ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Future Work

Abstract Background Prior research reported that motivational beliefs that individuals attach to specific tasks predict continuing interest and persistence in the task. A motivational approach may be particularly useful for understanding undergraduate students’ engagement with research in their first and second years in college. The current study utilizes the expectancy-value theory of achievement motivation to qualitatively explore how much and in what ways early year undergraduate researchers value their research experience and what kinds of costs they associate with it. Results The results revealed that intrinsic value had the highest expression in participants’ motivation to engage in research. The second most expressed value type was the utility value of undergraduate research with regards to obtaining the desired outcomes, and attainment value played the least important role in participants’ motivation to engage in research. Findings also indicated that some of the participants associated a cost(s) to their research experience. The highest mentioned perceived cost was opportunity cost, where participants commented on losing other valued alternatives when engaging in research. Participants commented on the time, effort, or amount of work needed to engage in research, and a few participants commented on the emotional cost associated with their research experience in terms of the fear of failure. Conclusion As perceived cost is the least studied in the expectancy-value framework, this study contributes to cost values within college students, particularly about early year undergraduate researchers. The findings of this study can form the basis for future work on exploring ways to increase the values and decrease the costs students experience in their undergraduate research experiences.

Informal community spaces, mentoring and representation: unpacking factors that influence African American engineering undergraduates

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anu Tuladhar ◽  
Carin Queener ◽  
Joi-Lynn Mondisa ◽  
Chinedum Okwudire
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Student Development ◽  
Mentoring Programs ◽  
Mentoring Relationships ◽  
Sample Population ◽  
Mentoring Program ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Informal Community ◽  
Community Spaces

PurposeIn this article, we examine the experiences of African American engineering undergraduate students who participated in two student–faculty mentoring programs. This work provides critical insights about important factors that enhance students' experiences in higher education (e.g. the need for informal community spaces, mentoring and representation).Design/methodology/approachUsing a sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach, participants were surveyed and interviewed about their experiences in the mentoring programs. Data were analyzed using basic statistical methods and thematic analysis.FindingsFindings indicate that students prosper in informal community spaces, where representation allows them to build mentoring relationships that are fostered naturally through common identities in a shared space.Research limitations/implicationsGiven the intimate size of the program, the sample population was limited.Practical implicationsTo benefit student development, mentoring program practices should consider dedicating funding and space for students and faculty of shared racial backgrounds and lived experiences to meet informally.Originality/valueThis work identifies explicit mentoring program factors that support the development of minoritized students in engineering.

Undergraduate Research at a Liberal Arts College during a Time of Disruption

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-78
Author(s):  
Christopher Fuse ◽  
◽  
Ashley Cannaday ◽  
Whitney Coyle ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Liberal Arts ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Liberal Arts College ◽  
Computational Studies ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Research Practices ◽  
New Techniques ◽  
Usual Research

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the authors, who have expertise in acoustics, optics, and astrophysics, decided to pivot from the experimental components of their research and focus instead on computational studies. Many of their usual research practices were adapted, creating new techniques to optimize the remote research experience for their undergraduate students.

scholarly journals MUREs - a new member of the URE-CURE family of research opportunities for undergrads

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Holly E. Bates ◽  
Shanna Lowes ◽  
Sarah L. West
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Research Opportunities ◽  
Biology Students ◽  
Undergraduate Research Experiences ◽  
Stem Students ◽  
Experiential Research

Undergraduate research experiences are important for the development of scientific identity, appreciation of authentic research, and to improve persistence towards science careers. We identified a gap in experiential research opportunities for undergraduate Biology students who were seeking a formal yet small-scale research experience that was unique to their own interests and career aspirations. These opportunities may be especially worthwhile for STEM students aspiring to non-research scientific careers (i.e., medicine, dentistry, forensics, communication) and underrepresented STEM students. Here, we reflect on the use of small-scale, individualized undergraduate research experiences that are based on established methods (MURE). These experiences have helped to fill this gap and create problem-centred learning opportunities for undergraduate students that are as unique as the students themselves.

scholarly journals A Composite Textual Phenomenological Approach to CUREs versus Traditional Laboratory Experiences

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amie Sommers ◽  
Dana Richter-Egger ◽  
Christine Cutucache
Keyword(s):  
Student Retention ◽  
Stem Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Effective Models ◽  
Laboratory Experiences

Here we present unique perspectives from undergraduate students (n=3) in STEM who have taken both a traditional laboratory iteration and a Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) iteration of the same introductory chemistry course. CUREs can be effective models for integrating research in courses and fostering student learning gains. Via phenomenological interviews, we asked students to describe the differences in their perspectives, feelings, and experiences between a traditional lab guided by a lab manual and a CURE. We found that (i.) critical thinking/problem solving, (ii.) group work/collaboration, (iii.) student-led research questions and activities, and (iv.) time management are the top four emergent themes associated with the CURE course. Students also indicated that they learned more disciplinary content in the CURE, and, importantly, that they prefer it over the traditional lab. These findings add another dimension of success to CUREs in STEM education, particularly surrounding student retention.

scholarly journals A model for training undergraduate students in collaborative science

FACETS ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 818-829 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nora J. Casson ◽  
Colin J. Whitfield ◽  
Helen M. Baulch ◽  
Sheryl Mills ◽  
Rebecca L. North ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Graduate School ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Learning Objectives ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Faculty Advisors ◽  
Scientific Disciplines ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Collaborative Skills

Engagement of undergraduate students in research has been demonstrated to correlate with improved academic performance and retention. Research experience confers many benefits on participants, particularly foundational skills necessary for graduate school and careers in scientific disciplines. Undergraduate curricula often do not adequately develop collaborative skills that are becoming increasingly useful in many workplaces and research settings. Here, we describe a pilot program that engages undergraduates in research and incorporates learning objectives designed to develop and enhance collaborative techniques and skills in team science that are not typical outcomes of the undergraduate research experience. We conducted a collaborative science project that engaged faculty advisors and upper year undergraduates at four institutions and conducted a review to assess the program’s efficacy. Students developed a broad suite of competencies related to collaborative science, above and beyond the experience of completing individual projects. This model also affords distinct advantages to faculty advisors, including the capacity of the network to collect and synthesize data from different regions. The model for training students to conduct collaborative science at an early stage of their career is scalable and adaptable to a wide range of fields. We provide recommendations for refining and implementing this model in other contexts.

Graduates Linked With Undergraduates in Engineering (GLUE): A Case Study

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dinesh Rabindran ◽  
Tricia S. Berry
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Gear Train ◽  
Mentoring Program ◽  
Spring Semester ◽  
University Of Texas ◽  
Single Output ◽  
College Of Engineering

This paper presents a case study from the Graduates Linked with Undergraduates in Engineering (GLUE) Program in the College of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. This student mentoring program, offered in the spring semester every year, pairs undergraduate students (mentees) with graduate researchers (mentors) to foster undergraduate research. The benefits from the GLUE program are two-fold. While the undergraduate mentees get a feel for research, the participating graduate students can enhance their research mentoring skills. In this article we present a GLUE case study in the area of Robotics. The mentee in this case was a sophomore in Mechanical Engineering and the mentor (the first author) was a senior doctoral student in Mechanical Engineering. The project involved the design and development of a Dual Input Single Output (DISO) epicyclic gear train to enhance the performance of a robot joint. The system was completely designed and tested using MSC.ADAMS. While describing the project, the paper will demonstrate the improvement in research skills of the mentee using three different sets of criteria from the literature.

Faculty and undergraduate student perceptions of an integrated mentoring approach

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola Livingstone ◽  
Nicola Naismith
Keyword(s):  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Analytical Techniques ◽  
Student Response ◽  
Student Experiences ◽  
Mentoring Relationships ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Diverse Discipline ◽  
Undergraduate Mentoring ◽  
Mentoring System

The role of an academic mentor is typically diverse, discipline specific and institutionally heterogeneous. Mentoring relationships are commonplace, yet the experience and delivery of mentoring in universities reflect a broad spectrum of approaches and execution. This article reflects on the pedagogic evolution of mentoring, examining the student response to systematic changes in undergraduate mentoring. Much has been written on mentoring, but this research focuses on student experiences when pastoral, professional and curriculum-based mentoring models are integrated and applied together, rather than adopted as separate, distinct approaches. The research employs a mixed methodology, adopting qualitative and quantitative analytical techniques to investigate how mentoring relationships evolved following the implementation of an updated contemporary mentoring system. Initially, faculty responses to the changing mentoring system were related through semi-structured interviews. Student experiences were then collected in a pilot study via questionnaires disseminated across all undergraduate levels and subsequently analysed. Key findings suggest that by adopting multifaceted approaches to mentoring which blend the modern and traditional, institutions can effectively add significant ‘value’ to the student experience. Typically (but not exclusively), the undergraduate students’ personal and academic development is enhanced when a system which integrates the pastoral, professional and curriculum-based models is applied.

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