SURF Mentoring
Potential projects/topics:
Assessment is an important part of the education process. It is widely recognized that inherent gender and cultural bias exists in standardized tests. This can be particularly evident and discriminatory among underrepresented populations in STEM. For the past two semesters, peer-created exams have been exclusively used in my classroom. This assessment process was generally well received and seemed equally effective, but has not been formally compared to more standardized assessment techniques nor reported in the literature.
Separately, gratitude, or an affirmation of gifts and benefits we have received from a source other than ourselves, can also improve resilience, alertness, and energy. Therefore, it is possible that gratitude will also improve assessment performance, but the role of gratitude in the American undergraduate classroom is also largely unexplored. The purpose of this study is to generate more specific data to answer the following questions:
1) How do peer-created exams perform compared to more traditional publisher or
instructor generated exams?
2) How do students respond to the use of peer-created exams?
3) Is there a relationship between trait gratitude and performance on academic
assessments?
Potential skills gained: IRB training and approval; data entry/analysis; publication preparation and dissemination (poster with potential for manuscript)
Required qualifications: Prefer interest in educational research and/or teaching but open to any major. Basic understanding of statistics and Excel would be helpful, but not required. A positive attitude and ability to work and respond quickly is a must (but I will return the favor!) :)
Direct mentor: Faculty/P.I.
Mentored presenters may have participated in these courses
KINE 495
Student Project Titles List
Health-Related Physical Fitness in Homeschool versus Public School Adolescents
The Effects of a College-Mentored Physical Activity Program for Elementary Students
No Difference in Stress Level Based on Physical Activity During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Parents of School-Aged Children
Changes in Food Security and Fruit/Vegetable Intake over the COVID-19 Pandemic
Vigorous Physical Activity Levels and Gratitude Among Private 4-Year University Students