Increasing Institutional Capacity to Engage and Mentor Students in Research after Participation in Course-based Research Experiences

Towson University, Towson MD

Investigators

Abstract

This project aims to serve the national interest by developing a model to guide faculty to be more effective and inclusive mentors of undergraduate students and, ultimately, engage more undergraduates in research. This Level 2 IUSE:EDU Engaged Student Learning project will advance professional development for novice undergraduate researchers and experienced undergraduate researchers to further support students becoming scientists. Many studies have shown that undergraduate students, including those from groups historically excluded from science, are more likely to complete a degree in science and pursue a career in STEM if they engage in a research project as college students. At Towson University, more than 30 course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) have been developed to engage students in research within a lab or field course. This has been particularly important for students who do not have the luxury of dedicating time to research outside of class. Many of these students would like to engage in research following the CURE, but without additional graduate students or staff to help mentor them, faculty are often not able to meet this student demand. In this project, a mentoring ecosystem will be developed wherein post-CURE undergraduate researchers interact with each other and faculty to learn together about STEM research, build their identities as scientists, and prepare for research-related pursuits after graduation. The professional development series created for faculty and students as part of this project will advance understanding of how mentoring undergraduates from many backgrounds can be accomplished effectively at an institution without Ph.D. students or dedicated mentoring staff. Results will be disseminated to other departments, colleges, and universities and will provide an important resource to improve faculty mentoring to benefit students while they are enrolled in college and beyond by providing them with the opportunity to engage in science and scientific careers. This project is focused not just on best practices in mentoring approaches and supporting students but also on how faculty and near peer mentors can be part of a mentoring ecosystem that supports the success of all students in a research group regardless of their identity or background. A Community of Practice approach will be used to engage undergraduate researchers and faculty in separate communities and in a larger group for professional development activities. Creating such a mentoring ecosystem has demonstrated longer-term benefits to students pursuing scientific education and careers versus programs in which faculty are not actively engaged in student professional development. Using surveys and interviews, project participants will be assessed to measure the impact of Community of Practice activities and the mentoring ecosystem on student and faculty identities as scientists, faculty development as mentors, and students’ pursuit of science careers. Project findings will provide formative feedback to further refine professional development and mentoring activities. Effective activities will be disseminated both across and beyond the Towson University context. The NSF IUSE: EDU Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.