EvaluateUR-Student Open Access
Welcome to the open access variant of EvaluateUR for students
You likely found this site on your own or were encouraged to check it out by one of your friends, research mentor, course instructor, team advisor, or internship coordinator. No matter how you found us, we are delighted you are here. You might be wondering what this is all about so read on as we answer some common questions.
EvaluateUR-Student Open Access, or E-Student OA, takes the elements of the EvaluateUR Method and makes them available to individual students who want to engage in self-driven reflection and feedback on their research, competition, or internship programs.There is no cost to use E-Student OA!
What is the EvaluateUR Method?
You can think of the EvaluateUR Method as a tool to help you deepen your learning as you participate in your research, internship, or prepare for an upcoming competition. The method has been around for more than ten years, but this open access variant is new. The EvaluateUR Method uses a set of outcomes that cover both disciplinary knowledge and skills that you'll likely use in your experience, education, and future workplace. An important aspect of the method is its focus on how you approach problem-solving, identify your strengths and areas you might wish to improve in, and make adjustments should you need to overcome an obstacle or discover that your approach is not working out as well as you'd like. The method encourages you to reflect on all this and to seek out individuals to share your ideas and get their feedback. In short, the method helps you go beyond completing your experience by thinking more about the process you are using to solve problems.
Learn more about the EvaluateUR Method ↗ EvaluateUR Method outcomes ↗
Why use EvaluateUR-Student OA?
- Increase your awareness of how you approach and solve problems and what skills and strengths you are using to do this.
- Learn and practice the discipline of realistic self-assessment.
- Gain experience communicating within your discipline and to others. This includes both your findings but also the experience itself.
- Develop greater confidence and self-awareness as you track your academic growth.
- Strengthen your applications to graduate programs or resumes.
Use E-Student OA in:
- Independent undergraduate research (opens in a new tab) where you are working with a research mentor or research supervisor during the summer or during the semester.
- Course-based research experiences (opens in a new tab) where research is a component of a class.
- Internships (opens in a new tab) that take place during the summer or one/both of your academic semesters.
- Collegiate competitions (opens in a new tab) in engineering technology/engineering design.
How do I get started with EvaluateUR-Student OA?
There are features common to all the tracks of the open-access version of the EvaluateUR Method. To account for differences in each of the experiences it supports, when you register, you'll need to select what option you want to use. All the tracks follow the sequence below:
- Register to use EvaluateUR-Student Open Access. This requires you to enter your name and a valid email address that you check on a regular basis (every few days but at least once a week).
- Select the track you want to use (see above).
- Choose a journaling or notes app for your phone or computer for capturing your thoughts and ideas. Alternatively, you could use a Word document with headings to record the date of the journal entry and any text, photos, data, and ideas you want to record.
After you register, you will receive weekly emails with suggestions that encourage you to reflect on what you are doing... what strategies you are using to collect information or data, any changes in the way you are doing this, and things you might want to talk over with a mentor.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grants No. 1932929 and 1932940. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.