Comparison of On-Campus and Virtual Self-Assessment Outcomes for Incoming Appalachian STEM Undergraduates' First Research Experience

The First2 Network is an alliance of higher education institutions across the State of West Virginia striving to improve science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) education by supporting rural, first-generation, and underrepresented college students pursuing STEM majors. Over the summers of 2019 and 2020, the First2 Network delivered two-week summer research immersion experiences at various institutions throughout West Virginia, including our institutions. The 2019 program was delivered on-campus at four universities while the 2020 program was redesigned to be delivered virtually, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, across nine sites. Before and after the immersion experience, students who participated in the program completed a variety of survey questionnaires for the assessment of their interests, expectations, identity, and belonging in STEM. We found that the in-person research experience in 2019 had better outcomes compared to the virtual experience, suggesting that students conducting research directly under their faculty supervisors in-person and on-site will have a more positive impact on their STEM education and career. However, participation in the virtual research format with structured group activities still resulted in an improvement in belonging and STEM identity, indicating that connecting with students remotely is still worthwhile when it is the most viable option. The student population in West Virginia/Appalachia region faces a number of academic barriers, so there is much to gain by finding new ways to reach as many students as possible with early career development programs. Our virtually delivered program using citizen science projects, group discussions, and team building activities may be a useful template for other STEM programs to search for new ways to connect with a broader population of students offsite.