Undergraduate Research: Experiences From a Three-Year Project

Abstract

There are significant benefits of research for the involved undergraduate student. These include exposure to advanced topics, introduction to research methods, and direct interaction with faculty and other students. Faculty and institutions benefit as well by the increased interaction with students -fresh eyes in research projects, more energized research groups, and more engaged alumni. However, there are some challenges in designing a research program to work primarily with undergraduates. These include the students' lack of exposure to advanced topics, short tenure on the project, and potentially lower commitment to the results. There are a number of ways to address these concerns, however. Short student tenure and limited background can be offset by breaking up a long-term project into manageable short-term goals, allocating specific deliverables to each student, and implementing a rigorous data reporting and storage system. Motivation concerns can be handled through tying performance to student grades or to an external competition.This paper presents results of applying these techniques in a multi-disciplinary vehicle sensing research project involving sixteen undergraduates over a three-year period. Although individual student time on the project ranged from only three to twelve months, all students were able to contribute to the project. Student activities were grouped into individual and small group tasks, each with specific goals and timetables. Rigorous electronic documentation and data storage techniques were employed to enable new students to come up-to-speed quickly. A mix of course credits, supplemental pay, and an intercollegiate competition were used to maintain student motivation. Project successes include high student satisfaction, conference papers, a demonstration pre-crash sensing system, and participation in an international student competition. INTRODUCTIONCal Poly is a polytechnic primarily undergraduate institution (PUI). The mechanical engineering department has ~1000 undergraduates and ~30 master's students, supported by 25 full-time faculty. As a result, faculty research activities involve a significant proportion of undergraduates. Since 2004, the authors have conducted a joint research program in collision avoidance and pre-crash sensing, centered in the mechanical engineering department. Our research activities have centered on the study of advanced automotive sensing technologies and control algorithms. While the research itself is interesting and significant due to the promise to deliver significant life-saving benefits to personal mobility, we are also interested in pursuing this work because of the benefits to the students. Student learning is the primary focus of higher education, and the experiences gained through research offer a significant learning possibilities for certain undergraduates. Recognizing that not all students are prepared for this (see Student Selection, below), those that are ready will gain a lot from the experience. Fifteen undergraduates and one g...