Collaborative Research: Development of a Common Tracking Tool and Assessment of Long-Term Outcomes for Biology REU Programs

University Of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison WI

Investigators

Abstract

The Biology Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Leadership Council (LC) will lead this project to develop, test and implement an on-line common tracking tool for use by the Biology REU Principal Investigator (PI) community. Data collected from REU program alumni will document the long-term impact of the REU experience on students? future career decisions and provide assessment data to Principal Investigators to use in modifying and updating their programs. In addition, it will allow the Biology REU LC to document program-wide outcomes, including information about the program elements that contribute to success for diverse populations of students, thereby supporting broadening participation in the REU programs. The objectives of this proposal are to: 1) provide Bio REU Principal Investigators with a web-based tool that allows them to efficiently and effectively track their program alumni, 2) work with the Bio REU Principal Investigators to define a set of criteria to create REU program profiles that can be used in the analysis of program-wide assessment and tracking data, and 3) collect and aggregate data from across Bio REU sites using the common tracking tool to assess long-term outcomes of the program as a whole. For more information about this project contact the project directors, Dr. Janet Branchaw (branchaw@wisc.edu) and Dr. Julio Soto (julio.soto@sjsu.edu).