Evaluation of a Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program in ChE indicates benefit from a collaborative model

Authors

  • D. Jake Follmer The Pennsylvania State University • University Park, PA 16802
  • Esther Gomez The Pennsylvania State University • University Park, PA 16802
  • Sarah Zappe The Pennsylvania State University • University Park, PA 16802
  • Manish Kumar The Pennsylvania State University • University Park, PA 16802

Abstract

 This study examined how a collaborative research environment in a structured research experience impacts undergraduate student outcomes. Students demonstrated significant gains in research skills and provided positive appraisals of their collaborative experiences. Emphasis on collaboration among students in an undergraduate research program appears to yield a number of benefits, including helping participants to acclimate to the research setting, facilitating problem solving and idea generation during research, and enhancing the overall research experience for students.

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Author Biographies

D. Jake Follmer, The Pennsylvania State University • University Park, PA 16802

D. Jake Follmer is a doctoral candidate in educational psychology at The Pennsylvania State University. His interests are in issues related to learning, assessment, and program evaluation.

Esther Gomez, The Pennsylvania State University • University Park, PA 16802

Esther Gomez is an assistant professor in the Departments of Chemical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering at The Pennsylvania State University. She obtained her Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and she was a postdoctoral fellow at Princeton University. Dr. Gomez is the co-director of a National Science Foundation sponsored Research Experience for Undergraduates program focused on Integration of Biology and Materials in Chemical Engineering and her research interests primarily focus on mechanobiology and cell membrane biophysics.

Sarah Zappe, The Pennsylvania State University • University Park, PA 16802

Sarah Zappe is senior research associate and director of Assessment and Instructional Support in the Leonhard Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Education at Penn State. She holds a doctoral degree in educational psychology emphasizing applied measurement and testing. In her position, Sarah is responsible for developing instructional support programs for faculty, providing evaluation support for educational proposals and projects, and working with faculty to publish educational research. Her research interests primarily involve creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship education.

Manish Kumar, The Pennsylvania State University • University Park, PA 16802

Manish Kumar is an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Penn State and a current co-director of the Penn State REU on “Integration of Biology and Materials in Chemical Engineering.” He obtained his Ph.D. in environmental engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and conducted postdoctoral research at the Harvard Medical School. He has 7 years of industrial research experience in environmental consulting and is dedicated to training young professionals.

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Published

2017-07-07

Issue

Vol. 51 No. 3 (2017): Summer 2017

Section

Manuscripts