CISE REU Evaluation Toolkit Extension

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This project will provide long-term support for external evaluation activities and services for the Computing and Information Sciences and Engineering Research Experiences for Undergraduates (CISE REU) community. This project will address the ongoing need among principal investigators who are fulfilling CISE REU Site program evaluation efforts by providing an evaluation toolkit that facilitates evaluation reporting while strengthening research about undergraduate research program outcomes. The primary purpose of the evaluation Toolkit is to provide targeted resources and tools for quality program evaluation that balance the desire for standardized assessment along with the responsibility to account for individual program contexts. Toolkit contents include instructional materials about evaluation practice, a standardized applicant management tool, and a validated modulated outcomes measure. Services associated with the Toolkit are providing a Common Application for site recruiting, coordinating a Shared Applicant Pool for principal investigators to share applicants across sites, delivering an online student survey known as the A la Carte Student Survey, and developing tailored analyses to REU Site principle investigators. Project expansion will include development of an Alumni Tracking tool to help investigators evaluate long-term outcomes and a study of faculty mentoring and career impact. The benefits of the toolkit are in providing cost effective, sustainable evaluation tools, a community forum for program evaluation, and aggregate measurement of key program outcomes indicators. The key contribution of project is in the refinement of understanding evidence-based practices in evaluating undergraduate research programs to help faculty successfully manage these programs. The project contributes to understanding the impact of undergraduate computing research programs for both students and faculty participants. The comprehensive program evaluation will inform collective efforts to recruit and mentor undergraduate students involved in cutting-edge research. The knowledge generated by this study will also provide insights about how faculty engage in REU Sites and the impact on their careers.