scholarly journals Mentoring Undergraduate Researchers: Faculty Mentors Perceptions Of The Challenges And Benefits Of The Research Relationship

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharyn J. Potter ◽  
Eleanor Abrams ◽  
Lisa Townson ◽  
Julie E. Williams
Keyword(s):  
New England ◽  
Faculty Member ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
College And University ◽  
Research Relationship ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Faculty Mentors ◽  
University Officials

In the past decade, college and university officials have tried to formalize avenues that provide undergraduate students with opportunities to conduct research, either in direct collaboration with a faculty member or as independent research under the supervision of a faculty member.  Administrators and faculty have worked to institutionalize these programs because they recognize the intrinsic benefits of these faculty student collaborations.  Since most faculty balance a wide range of demands, we wanted to understand how faculty members view these partnerships in the larger context of their work.  In 2008, as the Undergraduate Research Conference at our midsize public New England University entered its ninth year, the evaluation committee administered a survey to examine faculty members’ attitudes toward undergraduate research endeavors. Our results show that faculty felt overwhelmingly positive about their role as mentors. Full professors indicate more satisfaction in this role than associate and assistant professors.

scholarly journals Increasing Research Productivity in Undergraduate Research Experiences: Exploring Predictors of Collaborative Faculty–Student Publications

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. ar42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle X. Morales ◽  
Sara E. Grineski ◽  
Timothy W. Collins
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Student Collaboration ◽  
Student Publications ◽  
Faculty Commitment ◽  
Faculty Mentors

Little attention has been paid to understanding faculty–student productivity via undergraduate research from the faculty member’s perspective. This study examines predictors of faculty–student publications resulting from mentored undergraduate research, including measures of faculty–student collaboration, faculty commitment to undergraduate students, and faculty characteristics. Generalized estimating equations were used to analyze data from 468 faculty members across 13 research-intensive institutions, collected by a cross-sectional survey in 2013/2014. Results show that biomedical faculty mentors were more productive in publishing collaboratively with undergraduate students when they worked with students for more than 1 year on average, enjoyed teaching students about research, had mentored Black students, had received more funding from the National Institutes of Health, had a higher H-index scores, and had more years of experience working in higher education. This study suggests that college administrators and research program directors should strive to create incentives for faculty members to collaborate with undergraduate students and promote faculty awareness that undergraduates can contribute to their research.

scholarly journals Evaluating undergraduate research conferences as vehicles for novice researcher development

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pauline Kneale ◽  
Andrew Edwards-Jones ◽  
Helen Walkington ◽  
Jennifer Hill
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Skills Development ◽  
Learning Context ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Conference ◽  
Researcher Development ◽  
Development Framework ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to focus on the undergraduate research conference as its sphere of study and investigate the impact of significance of participation and socialisation in such activities on student attitudes and professional development. Using situated learning to theoretically position the undergraduate research conference as an authentic learning context, connection is also made with the concept of graduate attributes. Design/methodology/approach The Vitae (2014) Researcher Development Framework (RDF) is used to provide a template for charting the experiences and development of undergraduate students as researchers. This can be applied to short-term activities and programmes and to long-term career plans. The insights from 90 undergraduate students participating in three national undergraduate research conferences were obtained through interviews, and thematically analysed to map the students’ skills development against the RDF criteria. Findings Three main aspects of undergraduate research conference participation were considered particularly important by the students: the value of paper presentations, the value of poster presentations and the value of the overall conference experience. Within these themes, participants identified a wide range of skills and attributes they felt they had developed as a result of either preparing for or participating in the conferences. The majority of these skills and attributes could be mapped against the different domains of the RDF, using a public engagement lens for comparing actual with expected developmental areas. Research limitations/implications This research helps undergraduate research conference organisers construct programme content and form it in such a way that students’ skill development can be maximised prior to, and during, the course of an event. Learning developers can also use these findings to help understand the support needs of students preparing to deliver papers at such conferences. So far, little empirical research has examined students’ skills development within the undergraduate research conference arena. Originality/value The outcomes of this study show the diversity of the skills that students developed and the value of the conference format for offering networking practice and enhancing the communication skills which employers value.

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.

scholarly journals Mentoring Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Students via a Team Effort

2011 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 250-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Istvan Karsai ◽  
Jeff Knisley ◽  
Debra Knisley ◽  
Lev Yampolsky ◽  
Anant Godbole
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Biology ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Team Building ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Team Approach ◽  
First Semester ◽  
Interdisciplinary Field ◽  
New Students ◽  
Team Concept

We describe how a team approach that we developed as a mentoring strategy can be used to recruit, advance, and guide students to be more interested in the interdisciplinary field of mathematical biology, and lead to success in undergraduate research in this field. Students are introduced to research in their first semester via lab rotations. Their participation in the research of four faculty members—two from biology and two from mathematics—gives them a first-hand overview of research in quantitative biology and also some initial experience in research itself. However, one of the primary goals of the lab rotation experience is that of developing teams of students and faculty that combine mathematics and statistics with biology and the life sciences, teams that subsequently mentor undergraduate research in genuine interdisciplinary environments. Thus, the team concept serves not only as a means of establishing interdisciplinary research, but also as a means of incorporating new students into existing research efforts that will then track those students into meaningful research of their own. We report how the team concept is used to support undergraduate research in mathematical biology and what types of team-building strategies have worked for us.

scholarly journals Creative, Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Research: An Educational Cell Biology Video Game Designed by Students for Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 5-14
Author(s):  
Isabelle Sperano ◽  
◽  
Ross Shaw ◽  
Robert Andruchow ◽  
Dana Cobzas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Cell Biology ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Biology Students ◽  
Interdisciplinary Practice ◽  
Practice Based Research ◽  
The Right

In a three-year, practice-based, creative research project, the team designed a video game for undergraduate biology students that aimed to find the right balance between educational content and entertainment. The project involved 7 faculty members and 14 undergraduate students from biological science, design, computer science, and music. This nontraditional approach to research was attractive to students. Working on an interdisciplinary practice-based research project required strategies related to timeline, recruitment, funding, team management, and mentoring. Although this project was time-consuming and full of challenges, it created meaningful learning experiences not only for students but also for faculty members.

In the Eye of the Beholder: Students’ Views of Mentors in Psychology

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terry A. Cronan ◽  
Charles Van Liew ◽  
Julia Stal ◽  
Nicole Marr ◽  
Alan Patrus ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Public Universities ◽  
The United States ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
The Other ◽  
Research Teams ◽  
Conducting Research ◽  
Faculty Mentors

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether students’ views of mentors have changed as a function of the increased number of faculty members conducting research and the inclusion of undergraduate students in faculty mentors’ research teams, using reports from current students. The participants were 227 undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students at two large, Western public universities located in the United States. One institution was a research-intensive university and the other was not. Students were asked to complete a questionnaire about whether they had a mentor, the characteristics of their mentors, and their perceptions of their mentors. The findings indicated that 28.5% of undergraduates and 95% of graduate students had mentors. Undergraduate students were significantly more likely to choose mentors for being inspiring instructors, and graduate students were significantly more likely to choose mentors because of interest in their research. The most important characteristic of both good and bad mentors was personality. Students at all levels perceived their mentors as very interested in their futures. Mentor satisfaction was high among students at all levels. The findings are encouraging, and they provide evidence that psychology has adapted well to the increased number of faculty conducting research and to the inclusion of undergraduate students in research.

scholarly journals Collaborative Approaches to Undergraduate Research Training: Information Literacy and Data Management

2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 368-389 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hailey Mooney ◽  
W. Aaron Collie ◽  
Shawn Nicholson ◽  
Marya R. Sosulski
Keyword(s):  
Data Management ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Research Training ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Meaningful Work ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Research Data Management ◽  
Faculty Mentors

The undergraduate research experience (URE) provides an opportunity for students to engage in meaningful work with faculty mentors on research projects. An increasingly important component of scholarly research is the application of research data management best practices, yet this often falls out of the scope of URE programs. This article presents a case study of faculty and librarian collaboration in the integration of a library and research data management curriculum into a social work URE research team. Discussion includes reflections on the content and learning outcomes, benefits of a holistic approach to introducing undergraduate students to research practice, and challenges of scale.

scholarly journals Displaying a Poster, Unifying a Campus: Undergraduate Research Day at Penn State Wilkes-Barre

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 156-168
Author(s):  
Jennie Levine Knies ◽  
Megan Mac Gregor
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Organizational Identity ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Planning Committee ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Degree Programs ◽  
Penn State ◽  
Faculty And Staff ◽  
The Way

This article describes the first official Undergraduate Research Day at Penn State Wilkes-Barre, a small campus with approximately 550 undergraduate students and 8 four-year degree programs. In 2015, an informal planning committee, consisting of two librarians and two faculty members, embarked on a project to turn what had been an informal course assignment into a campus-wide research event.  By remaining flexible, engaged, and open to collaboration, the committee made Undergraduate Research Day in April 2015 a success, and plans are underway to hold this event in subsequent years.  The event energized and motivated students, faculty, and staff on campus and paved the way toward a unified organizational identity on campus.

Read, Understand, Learn, & Excel: Development and Testing of an Automated Reading Strategy Detection Algorithm for Postsecondary Students

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 1257-1267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Priya Kucheria ◽  
McKay Moore Sohlberg ◽  
Jason Prideaux ◽  
Stephen Fickas
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Expository Text ◽  
Reading Strategy ◽  
Detection Algorithm ◽  
Expository Texts ◽  
Human Observer ◽  
Behavioral Strategies ◽  
Periodic Review ◽  
Wide Range

PurposeAn important predictor of postsecondary academic success is an individual's reading comprehension skills. Postsecondary readers apply a wide range of behavioral strategies to process text for learning purposes. Currently, no tools exist to detect a reader's use of strategies. The primary aim of this study was to develop Read, Understand, Learn, & Excel, an automated tool designed to detect reading strategy use and explore its accuracy in detecting strategies when students read digital, expository text.MethodAn iterative design was used to develop the computer algorithm for detecting 9 reading strategies. Twelve undergraduate students read 2 expository texts that were equated for length and complexity. A human observer documented the strategies employed by each reader, whereas the computer used digital sequences to detect the same strategies. Data were then coded and analyzed to determine agreement between the 2 sources of strategy detection (i.e., the computer and the observer).ResultsAgreement between the computer- and human-coded strategies was 75% or higher for 6 out of the 9 strategies. Only 3 out of the 9 strategies–previewing content, evaluating amount of remaining text, and periodic review and/or iterative summarizing–had less than 60% agreement.ConclusionRead, Understand, Learn, & Excel provides proof of concept that a reader's approach to engaging with academic text can be objectively and automatically captured. Clinical implications and suggestions to improve the sensitivity of the code are discussed.Supplemental Materialhttps://doi.org/10.23641/asha.8204786

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