Undergraduate Research

Assessment of URE's often take the form of final reports in the style of a journal article, thesis, or conference presentation. However, this approach alone can unintentionally reinforce misconceptions around the neatness and linearality of the research process (Wilson, Howitt, Higgins, 2016). Moreover, the bulk of the work students engage in are not represented in their final report  Therefore, it is important to design assessment strategies that are aligned with desired learning outcomes. For example, if you wanted to emphasize the research process, then assessments based on a final report are ineffective at capturing this desired learning outcome. Reflective journals, progress reports, and peer feedback sessions are practices that would align more with process related learning outcomes. Below are steps that can be followed to design student assessments for your URE. 

from Shortlidge & Brownell (2016)