Online Student Engagement in Social Science Research Laboratories: Expert Advice on the Opportunities and Challenge
Undergraduate research experiences (UREs) significantly enhance students’ critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork skills, and foster pathways to graduate studies. Social science laboratory-based undergraduate research experiences (LUREs) offer similar benefits with more impact on the understanding of the research process and influence career direction. As online undergraduate programs increase, research opportunities must adapt to incorporate otherwise excluded remote students. This study employs an expert panel method that collects insights from 22 experienced lab leaders around meeting the substantial challenges of mentoring online students in social science lab groups. Through thematic analysis, four key challenges and proposed solutions to enable remote undergraduate students to successfully engage in research labs were identified. These solutions offer practical guidance to improve inclusivity and accessibility for online learners.
Authors
- Caitlin Drummond Otten (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6480-170X)
- Shauna BurnSilver (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6671-0721)
- Amber Wutich (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4164-1632)
- Christopher T. Morehart
- Kelly J. Knudson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2885-6228)
- Cindi SturtzSreetharan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7528-8991)
- Matthew V. Kroot (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7824-9234)
- Erik Juan Jose Estrada
- Matthew A. Peeples (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4496-623X)
- Daniel J. Hruschka (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2188-7782)
- Abigail M. York (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2313-9262)
- Alissa Ruth (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6482-1922)
- Melissa Beresford (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5707-3943)
- Christopher M. Stojanowski (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3866-4999)
- Megan Jehn (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6742-417X)
- Robin Nelson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9455-4754)
- Michael E. Smith (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0677-8206)
- Alexandra Brewis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3769-4205)
- Jonathan Maupin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2610-2737)
- Elisabeth Kago Ilboudo Nébié (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4098-3609)
- Kostalena Michelaki
- Kathryn L. Ranhorn
- Christopher R. Caseldin
Publication Details
- Journal
- Scholarship and Practice of Undergraduate Research
- Published
- 2025-01-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.18833/spur/8/4/4
- Primary Topic
- Online and Blended Learning
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00