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What Constitutes Successful Undergraduate Research?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 March 2011

Colin Inglefield  and
Adam Johnston
Colin Inglefield
Affiliation:
Physics Department, Weber State University Ogden, UT, 84408-2508, U.S.A.
Adam Johnston
Affiliation:
Physics Department, Weber State University Ogden, UT, 84408-2508, U.S.A.
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Abstract

Research has become a point of much greater emphasis in the undergraduate science curriculum within the past few generations of undergraduate students. However, there is not universal agreement upon what constitutes a successful undergraduate research program, and how degrees of success should be measured. A model for a successful program based principally on student ownership of research projects will be presented here. This approach is an attempt to give undergraduate students the most holistic research experience possible, by involving them in all stages of a research project in a limited amount of time. A central goal for each student is a definable product of their particular project, which is disseminated to as wide an external audience as possible. Measures of success, from student perspectives, will be discussed. These measures include data from interviews of students before and after their research experience.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 827: Symposium BB – Educating Tomorrow's materials Scientists & Engineers , 2004 , BB3.6
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2004

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