Pandemic Impacts on Assessment of Undergraduate Research.

Were assessments of undergraduate researchers in a 10-week summer computing research experience impacted by the pandemic? We compare three cohort years: (1) pre-pandemic (in-person REU; prior to pandemic onset), (2) in-pandemic (remote REU, post-onset during ongoing pandemic), and (3) post-pandemic (in-person REU, post-onset with pandemic in the background). We discuss two forms of 5-point assessment ratings. First, we examine assessments of research skills on 34 questions, with a repeated measure of 3 assessments per cohort year at the beginning, middle, and end of their experience. Then, we examine assessment of presentation skills collected at the beginning vs. the end of the experience for pairs of students in all cohorts, considering 13 rating questions. Students' performance was assessed higher pre-pandemic. Also, being remote impacted completion performance. Lastly, effects linger after a return to in-person experiences, indicating adjustment challenges.