EAGER: Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Common Assessment Tool

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The University of Wisconsin Madison is awarded a grant to develop an online assessment tool to gauge student learning gains from a research experience. The tool will measure gains in four areas: (1) Thinking and working like a scientist; (2) Personal gains related to research work; (3) Skills; and (4) Attitudes and behaviors as a researcher. Both the student and his/her mentor can provide an assessment of the student gains. The tool will allow student data to be aggregated so that an analysis of outcomes and impacts can be made across student academic standing, demographics, length of experience, type of institution, field of discipline, and others. Although the student assessment tool can be used by all disciplines in STEM, initial use is expected to be made by students engaged in the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Sites programs managed by the Directorates for Biological Sciences (BIO) and Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS). The NSF REU Sites program contributes to the nation's efforts to build and sustain a scientific research workforce by engaging undergraduates in research, especially those from schools with limited opportunities for research and students from underrepresented groups. Creation of this tool will allow various NSF-funded REU programs conducted at institutions across the US to gauge student experiences in order to improve student learning. It also allows REU Program Directors to use a uniform set of core questions while also having the ability to ask program-specific questions. The tool will directly support REU program directors' efforts to rigorously evaluate their programs and assess student learning. Data collected from the tool will be made available to researchers studying the impact of undergraduate research learning experiences.This award is supported by the Directorates for Biological Sciences (BIO), Education and Human Resources (EHR), and Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS).