Recruit participating programs
Invited 25 programs that involved students in remote undergraduate research in 2020. Twenty-three programs chose to participate, hosted by 24 organizations across 18 states and one U.S. territory.
Quantities: 25 programs invited, 23 programs participated, 24 host organizations, 18 states plus 1 U.S. territoryDuration: Summer 2020Conditions: During COVID-19 pandemic when programs shifted to remote delivery
Collect written program descriptions
Used structured templates to document when, where, and how each program was implemented from perspective of Principal Investigators. Templates covered expectations, introductory and culminating events, and weekly activities to ensure PIs could describe implementation with accuracy.
Quantities: 23 program descriptions collectedDuration: After programs were completedConditions: Structured template format for consistency
Equipment: structured templates
Conduct student focus groups
Held focus groups at midpoint and end of program timepoints with average 81% and 67% student participation respectively. Students chose focus groups that suited their schedules. All focus groups were recorded to ensure feedback was captured accurately.
Quantities: Focus groups with 81% participation at midpoint, 67% at end of programDuration: Midpoint and end-of-program timepointsConditions: Students selected focus groups based on their availability
Equipment: recording equipment for focus groups
Administer student surveys
Surveyed students at end of programs regarding extent to which they experienced programs synchronously versus asynchronously, quality of relationships with research mentors, and level of connectedness in their programs.
Quantities: Surveys administered to program participantsDuration: End of programConditions: Complemented focus group data collection
Equipment: survey instruments
Analyze qualitative data
Used inductive qualitative content analysis of focus group reports. Evaluation team independently read student strengths and suggestions, created brief descriptive summaries with illustrative quotes. Team met as group to discuss and refine themes, developed definitions, and ensured coherent representation.
Quantities: Analysis of all focus group transcriptsDuration: Post-data collection analysis periodConditions: Iterative team-based analysis approach