John Cavitt and Adam Johnston
It has been well documented that students participating in undergraduate research gain research skills and interest in their field. What is less well documented is how the undergraduate research experience aids in developing students' communication skills, quantitative skills, critical thinking skills, and conceptual understandings of their research field. We propose to develop and implement an evaluation rubric to assess these skills and understandings within a student research portfolio. The results of this project will provide critical information for determining the value of undergraduate research at WSU and its potential role in the general education curriculum.