Cultivating Cyber Scholars: Research Support for Online STEM Students

Program Abstract: Undergraduate research offers unique challenges and opportunities for online STEM students. This study examines the impact of a framework of support (the Research Scholars Program) designed for geographically distributed students who are completing their degree programs exclusively online. The Research Scholars Program includes curricular options, an online resource repository, research skills workshops, and faculty and near-peer research mentoring. Our study investigates the impact of a framework of undergraduate research support for fully online students on student outcomes, including student research skills and competencies, as well as their research interest and STEM identity. The online resource repository and research mentoring showed notable student participation within the framework of support. The findings highlight the efficacy of a support structure in promoting undergraduate research within virtual learning environments, providing powerful insights for enhancing student engagement in higher education and bringing this high impact practice to a growing cohort of students in higher education.