ROBUST STUDENT-BASED UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH MODELS

Abstract

Here is presented the work in progress forresearch in engineering and engineering technology forundergraduate students. Traditional models for encouragingundergraduate participation in research projects are basedprimarily on the undergraduate experiences andrecollections of faculty members. Today, we still rely ontraditional methods and models to encourage undergraduatestudents of the New Millennium to conduct research.Relatively low numbers of undergraduate students currentlyentering Engineering and Technology (E&T) researchprograms, coupled with a lack of college faculty experiencewith undergraduate participation in their research projects,suggests that these students are not getting the message thatthey are perceived as valued researchers. The ultimate goalof this study is to create models for promoting researchopportunities for E&T undergraduate students. Theanticipated outcomes of this study are increasedparticipation of E&T undergraduates in research, achievingmore success in research programs, and eventuallyincreased participation of more prepared students ingraduate studies.

Index Terms – Undergraduate research in engineering andengineering technology, engineering and engineeringtechnology education, engineering and engineeringtechnology pedagogy, mentoring undergraduate research inengineering and engineering technology.