Assessment of your research course or module (i.e., what worked, what didn’t (logistically or pedagogically); barriers; potential improvements; expansions) can consider short-term, medium-term, and long-term outcomes. Models for understanding the efficacy of course-based research suggest that improvement in short-term outcomes can lead to improvement in medium-term outcomes, which subsequently can lead to improvement in long-term outcomes (see Figure 4 in Corwin et al. 2015).

Examples of Short-term outcomes

• Increased analytical skills
• Increased content knowledge
• Increased experimental design skills
• Increased communication skills
• Increased collaboration skills

Examples of Medium-term outcomes

• Increased motivation in science
• Increased self-efficacy
• Increased tolerance to obstacles
• Increased performance in next biology course

Examples of Long-term outcomes

• Student persistence in biology major
• Student 4-year and 5-year graduation rate
• Student pursuit of graduate or professional degree

Things to consider when designing your assessment plan:

• writing objectives for your module or course will direct your assessment,
• timing of assessments: consider pre- and post-tests to see learning gains
• consider alumni surveys to follow long-term effects
• using third party administration to protect anonymity of responder
• type of assessment tools for different information (tests, surveys, focus groups)

Corwin, LA, MJ Graham, and EL Dolan. 2015. Modeling Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences: An Agenda for Future Research and Evaluation. CBE-Life Sciences Education 14:1-13.