EvaluateUR: SEQUENCE OF ACTIVITIES

  1. Orientation Meeting
  2. Complete paperwork for payment (stipend checks and supply money).
  3. Introduction of student-mentor teams with students briefly describing their research/scholarly/creative activity.
  4. Program described including reports and when they occur in the program, the evaluation method, and post-research activities.

Note: Buffalo State's program has developed basic forms to facilitate paying the student stipend (mentors a little bit more involved due to how payments are made on our campus) and supply budget. We also have each team complete a Summer Schedule to help them stay on track of the different research stages (Pre-research; Mid-research; End-of-Research) and activities that take place at the end of the program and following academic year. This likely will vary from campus-to-campus but it is helpful if the Orientation session you run includes both the logistics of your program and the EvaluateUR component and clearly outlines the timeline and expectations for each step of the program.

* You can decide to use the Buffalo State mid-research and end-of-research report forms or your own, but it is important to include some report in the middle and end of the research that helps the student and mentor summarize what was done. Doing this before completion of the final assessment is particularly helpful as it guides the student in synthesizing what they did and learned and should generate conversations between the student and mentor.

  1. Before Research Begins
  2. Student completes 'Pre-Research Reflection' and forwards to mentor.
  3. Mentor reviews student’s responsesand schedules a meeting with the student.
  4. Student and mentor meet to discuss student’s responses and any other questions relating to this reflection; identify any additional outcomes; and complete the short form about meeting.

Note: Any additional outcomes are added by the mentor to the short online form they complete; this will automatically add these outcomes to all subsequent forms competed by the student-mentor pair.

  1. Student and mentor complete the pre-research assessment and mentor contacts student to set up meeting to discuss responses.
  2. There is a student and mentor version of this survey. Please do not complete them together. However, you should coordinate taking the surveys and decide when you are ready to complete them. You should complete the Pre-Research Assessment within a day or two of each other and then meet within a day or two to discuss how each of you scored each item.
  3. Mentor version of the assessment form includes ‘confidence levels’ for both the pre- and post-research assessments. For each of the outcomes, you’ll be asked to indicate your level of confidence in the score's accuracy. (5-Very confident; 4-Fairly confident; 3-Somewhat confident; 2-Not terribly confident; 1-Not confident at all).
  4. Student and mentor meet to discuss each other’s responses and why scores were same or different on outcomes; each completes a very short form summarizing their meeting.

Recommendation: If possible, have the student-mentor team 'reserve' several hours within the first few days of the research program (or do this just before research starts). To be meaningful, the Pre-Research Steps should be completed before the research begins and with minimal time between completing forms, meeting to discuss surveys, and completing the online steps.

* The thing that confuses some teams is that they need to meet twice before the research begins - once to discuss the student's responses to the reflection survey and again to discuss how each scored the pre-research assessment. Some groups report that they 'met' when they get the reminder, not remembering that they need to meet twice. The 'Dashboard' helps a bit but the admin person needs to pay particular attention to ensure that the beginning steps are completed in a timely fashion and that they make it clear that research cannot start until the pre-research steps are completed.

  1. Research Begins
  2. Start a journal to keep track of progress and reflect on experience
  3. Students are required to maintain a journal and mentors are encouraged to keep a journal or notes about student progress. The website let you set up a password protected journal. You can also keep a notebook (lab/field) or sketchbook instead of an electronic journal. It is recommended that you date each journal entry and make entries every few days or at least once every week. You will be asked about your journal in the mid-research and end-of-research reports.
  1. Mid-ResearchAssessment and Report (student and mentor versions)
  2. Student and Mentor each complete the mid-research assessment and a short report that summarizes progress to date, any significant changes in the research plan, and work to be completed in the second half of the summer. The student and mentor meet to discuss how each scored the assessment.
  1. Final Assessment and Report
  2. Studentcompletes: 1) 4-5 page summary report (single-spaced) that includes methodology, data, figures, pictures of works of art, and comprehensive summary of findings; 2) 2-3 PPTX slides highlighting project (the slides are used to describe project and findings during the wrap-up session); and 3) application to present at campus research conference. The mentor reviews and approvesthe report, slides, and application and helps student make edits as needed.
  3. Student and Mentor each complete a final assessment and report.
  4. The student and mentor meet to discuss how each scored the final assessment.
  1. Wrap-up session
  2. During this session students give short summaries of what they did and major findings.
  1. Presentation at Student Research and Creativity Celebration

This is an expectation and requirement for students funded in this program.