USING EVALUATEUR TO COMPLEMENT AND EXTEND THE MENTORING PROCESS

EvaluateUR addresses the need to introduce undergraduates conducting research to a broad range of desirable outcomes that include but go beyond content knowledge, particularly outcomes critically important in the workplace, such as communication skills, creativity, autonomy, ability to overcome obstacles, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. EvaluateUR provides statistically reliable assessments of student growth in 11 outcome categories using a rubric that describes the specific student behaviors measured by each outcome category, for a total of 35 outcome components. Students score themselves on each component, and their research mentors, using the same instrument, also independently score their students. Campus management of evaluation logistics and reporting of results is supported by the Science Education Resource Center (SERC) at Carleton College. EvaluateUR stresses that the assessment scores are less important than the conversations that follow the assessments, at which time the student and mentor share their rationales for assigning particular scores and discuss the reasons for differences, if any, in their perceptions. These conversations are key to the development and enhancement of student metacognitive skills, as they provide opportunities for students to reflect on their understanding of their strengths and weaknesses, assess the value of the learning strategies they have been employing, and consider what adjustments in substantive focus and/or learning strategies they should make in order to improve their outcomes. Metacognition abilities are also critically important in the workplace, because they are used in forming accurate appraisals of work-related strengths and weaknesses and in identifying needed adjustments. With an NSF-ATE award to SUNY Buffalo State, in partnership with the Community College Undergraduate Research Initiative and SERC, modifications to the design of EvaluateUR are being made to develop EvaluateUR-CURE to support the evaluation of course-based undergraduate research experiences at community colleges. Student and mentor perspectives using EvaluateUR will be shared.