Undergraduate Research Experiences take Many Forms at Capital University

Undergraduate Researchers as Assessment ConsultantsAndrea M. Karkowski, professor of psychology

Capital University

Employability Skills

LITERACY AND NUMERACY: Read, speak, write, listen, calculate

CRITICAL THINKING: Think creatively, make decisions, solve problems

MANAGEMENT SKILLS: Plan, organize, meet goals

LEADERSHIP SKILLS: Motivate others, act ethically, with integrity & honesty

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS: Work with/help others, particularly diverse others

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SKILLS: Select, effectively use appropriate tools

SYSTEMS THINKING: Work effectively within organizational structure

WORK ETHIC: Attendance, punctuality, patience, attitude, professionalism

How do you fit in ASSESSMENT on top of everything else that you need to do?

State Learning Outcome

Develop Method

Collect & Analyze Data

Suggest Changes

State Hypothesis

Develop Method

Collect & Analyze

Data

Draw Conclusions

Assessment Loop Experimental Method

What is the assessment process?

Experimental Psychology

Course requires students to

Read research literature

Develop and conduct an empirical project

Communicate findings via a professional

manuscript and a poster presentation

Experimental Psychology

Course Prerequisites

Statistics

Research Methods

Course Calendar

Establishing Knowledge Base

Read & present research literature – Topics pre-determined

Interview Faculty/Staff “Client” – Projects pre-determined

Write Introduction

Design Project

Write Method Section

Collect and Analyze Data

Write Results and Discussion

Present their Work

Make Recommendations to Client

Topics Across 8 Semesters

Academic Affairs Student ServicesTopic Project #

Counseling/Health Ctr 2

Teaching/Learning Ctr 4

LEAD 2

Sustainability 2

Academic Success 3

Employability Skills 2

Student Persistence 1

Career Development 2

Student Stress 4

Library 2

Diversity & Inclusion 1

Topic Project #

Department PLOs 11

Gen Education PLOs 5

Course Outcomes 3

Writing (classes) 2

Writing (symposium) 2

Honors Program 3

Undergraduate Res. 5

M.Ed. Plan 1

Academic Advising 1

Community Engage. 3

Outcomes

Students

Love that their work has meaning beyond the classroom and can improve the university

Enjoy learning about learning

Present/publish on campus and off campus

Faculty/Staff “Clients” Enjoy talking with

others about their work

Appreciate having someone else do the assessment

Relish not having to become an assessment expert themselves

Adore getting students’ perspectives on changes

Concerns

IRB

Time

Confidentiality

Quality of Work

Recruiting Participants

Employability Skills

LITERACY AND NUMERACY

CRITICAL THINKING

MANAGEMENT SKILLS

LEADERSHIP SKILLS

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SKILLS

SYSTEMS THINKING

WORK ETHIC

How does this apply to your campus?

What students are being prepared for this type of work?

Advanced Social Science Students

Psychology

Sociology

Criminology

Social Work

Advanced Ed Majors (particularly Math Ed & Science Ed)

Advanced Interdisciplinary Classes

Advanced Nursing Majors

Independent Research Projects

External “Clients”

Other Campus “Clients” (e.g., CHW, Law School)

Many thanks to the “clients” who have worked with me and my students!

Faculty

Dr. Christine Anderson, biology

Dr. Kathryn Bell, psychology

Dr. Steve Clymer, chemistry

Dr. Heather Janiszewski Goodin, nursing

Dr. Nate Jackson, philosophy

Dr. Mark Lochstampfor, music

Dr. Janette McDonald, psychology

Dr. Suzanne Marilley, political science

Dr. Sherry Mong, sociology & criminology

Dr. Monica Mueller, religion

Dr. Saleem Saleem, social work

Dr. Joy Schroeder, religion

Dr. Stephanie Saunders, languages

Dr. Olga Shonia, education

Dr. Daniel Skinner, political science

Dr. John Soloninka, psychology

Dr. Michael Torello, psychology

Dr. Jim Wightman, education

Dr. Thomas Zugger, music

Staff and Administrators

Mr. Eric Anderson, career development

Ms. Anna Biszaha, Blackmore Library

Ms. Autumm Caines, CELT

Mr. Matt Cook, Blackmore Library

Mr. Bruce Epps, academic success

Dr. Jody S. Fournier, provost office

Mr. David Gonzales, student development

Dr. Terry Lahm, provost office

Dr. Cathy McDaniels Wilson, CHW

Dr. Mitsu Narui, institutional effectiveness

Ms Christa Serluco, student development

Dr. Almar Walter, diversity and inclusion

Dr. Daniel Weinstein, CELT

Dr. Stephanie Gray Wilson, provost office

Christine S. Anderson, associate professor of biology

Capital University

Undergraduate Research and Mentoring through a Partnership with a local eSTEM Academy

The Collaboration

Capital University and nearby Reynoldsburg City School’s Environmental Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (eSTEM) Early College Academy began a partnership in 2013.

Undergraduate students guide eSTEM high school students through rigorous place-based original research projects under the mentorship of Capital University and eSTEMfaculty.

Undergraduate Research

Programming

Formative and Summative Assessments

To date, 14 undergraduate students and 32 high school students through the partnership have been engaged in research project design with developing a research question, methodology and literature review, and sample collection, data analysis, and poster design.

Students Engaged in the Partnership

What High School Students Say…

• “This research experience has given me exposure to fields in science that I have

been looking to major in and has also helped me apply what I have learned in

classes like Environmental Science to the real world.”

• “Being part of the eSTEM research has been life changing for me personally.

This research has helped get out of my comfort zone when it comes to being

out in nature and touching amphibians.”

• “…I am capable of more than I had originally thought before…this research has

made a large impact on me because it has influenced me to even consider

pursuing biological science as a study major in college.”

• “Overall, through the internship, I learned a great deal; not just the

environment but about Capital and colleges in general.”

Undergraduate Students

Goal #1: Students’ perceived gains in eight items from the SURE III Survey (Lopatto 2004)

Undergraduate Students

Goal #2: Students’ perceived gains in two items (drafted by C.S. Anderson) and five items from the URSSA Instrument (Hunter et al. 2009)

Final Thoughts

What we learned:

have undergraduate students pursue their own research

projects in addition to mentoring high school students

seek innovative funding from private companies

interested in promoting STEM education

start the program small but invite other faculty to join

with a wide range of expertise

develop assessment tools early in the collaboration to

increase the visibility and benefit of this partnership in

both communities

Acknowledge-ments

William Clark

Jens Hemmingsen

Terry Lahm

Rich Ladowitz

Mitsu Narui and Andrea M. Karkowski

Scott Bennett

Ohio STEM Learning Network

Capital research mentors and eSTEMcapstone students

Questions?