Evaluating undergraduate research conferences as vehicles for novice researcher development

Abstract

Purpose -This paper focuses on the undergraduate research conference as its sphere of study and investigates the significance of participation and socialisation in such activities on student attitudes and professional development. Using situated learning to theoretically position the undergraduate research conference as an authentic learning context, connection is also made to the concept of graduate attributes.Design/methodology/approach -The Vitae (2014) Researcher Development Framework (RDF) is used to provide a template for charting the experiences and development of undergraduate students as researchers. This can be applied to short-term activities and programmes as well as to long-term career plans. The insights from 90 undergraduate students participating at three national undergraduate research conferences were obtained through interviews, and thematically analysed to map the students' skills development against the RDF criteria.Findings -Three main aspects of undergraduate research conference participation were considered particularly important by the students: the value of paper presentations, the value of poster presentations, and the value of the overall conference experience. Within these themes, participants identified a wide range of skills and attributes they felt they had developed as a result of either preparing for or participating in the conferences. The majority of these skills and attributes were able to be mapped against the different domains of the RDF, using a public engagement lens for comparing actual with expected developmental areas.Research limitations/implications -This research helps undergraduate research conference organisers construct programme content and form in such a way that student skills development can be maximised prior to, and during, the course of an event. Learning Developers can also use these findings to help understand the support needs of students preparing to deliver papers at such conferences. So far, little empirical research has examined students' skills development within the undergraduate research conference arena.Originality/value -The outcomes of this study show the diversity of skills students developed, and the value of the conference format to offer networking practice and to enhance the communication skills which employers value.

The Student Thesis Conference as a model for authentic and inclusive student research dissemination

“…Student comments reflected the emphasis on communication skills, particularly in relation to employability, but also demonstrated that both second and third year students saw the conference as an opportunity to shape the future direction of their dissertation projects. This is consistent with studies of 'elite' conference models, where development of public speaking skills was seen as a major benefit of conference attendance Kneale et al, 2016). Many students described STC as a mechanism to present to a larger audience than they would otherwise encounter in their degree programme, and students could see the future benefits gained through giving presentations to a larger audience:…”

“…We therefore concluded that the perceived bias of disciplines in the conference programme was the primary factor influencing the less positive responses of Sports Rehabilitation students. Programme identity acting as a potential barrier to engagement contrasts with the experience of students at elite conferences, where students saw benefits to being exposed to other disciplines (Kneale et al, 2016).…”

“….. Its given me an idea of what to expect. The importance of a social dimension to learning has been described for students attending 'elite' conferences, with students learning through both formal academic session and more informal social exchanges (Gumbhir, 2014;Kneale et al, 2016). The emergence of similar networks at STC indicates programme-level conferences can facilitate the development of learning communities in an inclusive way.…”

“…As such, there has been relatively little research into student experiences of conference participation, and the potential benefits such opportunities may bring. Undergraduate students attending BCUR developed key graduate attributes such as communication skills, selfauthorship and a development of professional understanding Kneale et al, 2016). A survey of undergraduates presenting their work at a national meeting of the American Chemical Society identified that the primary motivation for doing so was to present their work, which was followed by having fun and to list the activity on their CV (Mabrouk, 2009).…”

A Framework for Mentoring Students Attending Their First Professional Conference

“…There is clearly a need to provide more opportunities for undergraduate students to engage with their professional community and to develop and practice professional social skills (Hunter et al, 2007; Kneale et al, 2016). Attending professional conferences is one way to train young professionals while allowing them to explore opportunities available to them in their future career and build stronger relationships with their peers, faculty, and staff from their home institution.…”