Engaging Undergraduate Students in Online Data Science Research: Implementation and Impact of a Summer Research Program During COVID-19

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Author(s)Lessard, Laura M.
Author(s)Boukari, Hacene
Author(s)D’Souza, Malcolm
Author(s)Kecskemethy, Heidi H.
Author(s)Polasko, Linda
Author(s)Siegel, Scott
Author(s)Singleton, Erica
Author(s)Duncan, Melinda K.
Date Accessioned2026-03-03T00:15:17Z
Date Available2026-03-03T00:15:17Z
Publication Date2026-02-24
DescriptionThis article was originally published in Education Sciences. The version of record is available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16030357 © 2026 by the authors. Licensee MD PI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
AbstractPaid full-time summer undergraduate research programs (SURPs) increase persistence in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) degrees and later careers. Research disruptions during the summer of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic required a transition to Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) and created the opportunity to explore whether online-only SURPs were feasible. Data science projects emerged as a particularly feasible option for both mentors and students. A total of 65 students working with 49 mentors employed at five different research sites matriculated into a 10-week full-time paid SURP in 2020, with most projects focused on data science. Program implementation and impact were explored using online student surveys before (n = 62) and after (n = 56) participation, interviews with students conducted after the program ended (n = 10), online surveys of mentors conducted after the program ended (n = 35), and data on persistence in relevant fields. Scholars reported satisfaction with the program and described how the program developed their scientific skills and interest in data science. Mentors surveyed reported that they would be willing to invite another undergraduate student to perform research under their direction using a distance model. About half of the mentors reported that mentoring students online took about the same amount of time as mentoring in-person. Students who completed the program in-person in 2019 and those who participated in the remote program in 2020 had similar early career trajectories, with approximately 60% of both cohorts remaining in related fields five to six years later. Our experience suggests that an online SURP can be feasibly implemented across multiple sites, with positive impacts on student interest in data science.
SponsorThis work was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, National Institute for General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) (Grant #P20 GM103446) and the State of Delaware. Additional stipends for summer 2020 and/or 2019 were provided by The Gregory and Ruth Knapp Lavelle Undergraduate Research Fund, administered by the College of Health Sciences, University of Delaware, and the University of Delaware, College of Arts and Sciences, Office of the Dean.
CitationLessard LM, Boukari H, D’Souza M, Kecskemethy HH, Polasko L, Siegel S, Singleton E, Duncan MK. Engaging Undergraduate Students in Online Data Science Research: Implementation and Impact of a Summer Research Program During COVID-19. Education Sciences. 2026; 16(3):357. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16030357
ISSN2227-7102
URLhttps://udspace.udel.edu/handle/19716/36943
Languageen_US
PublisherEducation Sciences
dc.rightsAttribution 4.0 Internationalen
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Keywordsdata science education
Keywordsonline research programs
Keywordsundergraduate research
Keywordsremote learning
Keywordsemergency remote teaching
TitleEngaging Undergraduate Students in Online Data Science Research: Implementation and Impact of a Summer Research Program During COVID-19
TypeArticle
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