Student Perspectives on SURF 2020

Student Perspectives on SURF 2020

We know this year presented some unexpected challenges for our students in SURF so we reached out to them to get their perspectives. Please read further to hear what our students have to say about “Digital SURF” and the value of research as part of their Carroll experience.

Below are the students who shared their perspectives along with a link to their 2020 research presentations.

Rachel Bechtel (RB) –

Kendall Frederics (KF) –

Michael Fuller (MF) –

Reina Ishibashi (RI) –

Anna Wurzer (AW) –

QUESTIONS:

What value did undergraduate research bring to your educational experience at Carroll?

RB: As I am a psychology major that plans to go into disability advocacy, there is not always a clear connection between my major and my future goals. My independent research has allowed me to bridge that gap by applying what I have learned in the classroom to phenomena in the disability rights world. This opportunity has allowed me to develop a portfolio of work that is relevant to my future and my interests. Through this process, I have also experienced life-changing mentorship and been able to build relationships with not only my research advisor but also other faculty. My research mentor provided me with guidance, while also giving me enough freedom to become truly comfortable with the research process, academic writing, and data analysis. These will be invaluable skills as I move forward.

KF:  Undergraduate research remains extremely influential to my educational experience. It has allowed me to discover my passion in research, encouraging me to attend graduate school.

MF:  The ability to work on your own research is a blessing. I was lucky to have such a supportive team of people that helped me on my journey. I hope that the findings from my research can be used later on.

RI:  Undergraduate research has allowed me to share with my family and friends what I've done in college. It is a way of sharing my accomplishments with others in a way that is easy to understand.

AW:  My research experiences at Carroll have been phenomenal. I love the opportunities to work with professors one-on-one and truly get an individualized experience. The research opportunities is the aspect of my Carroll education that I am most grateful for because it distinguishes Carroll College as a school that is willing to work independently to help students grow. 

 

How does this year's Digital SURF compare to last year's event?

RB:  While it's unfortunate to miss out on interactions with students and faculty, this Digital SURF was a great way to honor students' research amidst the current pandemic. It lacked the normal excitement of SURF, but I was glad to still have an opportunity to share my work.

KF:  Digital SURF is definitely an adjustment; however, given the circumstances, this is the best way to convey research and ensure safety.

MF:  Digital SURF is very much different than SURF in person. While it is wonderful that we can all see the work of our peers, unfortunately, nothing compares to being able to interact directly with an audience.

RI:  There was still a tremendous amount of effort and support that went in to making it happen. However, since everything was online, I felt a little more of that distance between the presenter and the audience (there were no interactions with the audience etc.)

AW:  The greatest advantage I saw from this format was that a wider range of people could see the presentation since it was recorded and didn’t overlap with other presentations

 

Was there any difficulty in mastering the technology this year to present your research in a video format?

RB:  After using Zoom for classes, it was really easy to use the same platform to present my work.

KF:  Although I was originally apprehensive, the technology did not pose a challenge in presenting my research. Through instructional emails and the help of professors, I was able to transform my presentation into a video format with ease.

MF:  It took a few trial runs but I was able to work with what we had.

RI:  There was no difficulty in mastering the technology, but for my group presentation it took some communication and coordination to figure out how to get all of our voices in one presentation.

 

What did you miss about in-person SURF?

RB:  I greatly missed the opportunity to discuss my work and the work of other students with faculty and community members. It felt pretty anticlimactic.

KF:  One thing I did miss about in-person SURF were the questions. Unfortunately, those who view my presentation may not be able to ask questions about it.

RI:  I miss feeling the buzz and excitement in the room. While the students' research is still celebrated with the digital SURF, the atmosphere is different when it is all gathered in one physical location. 

AW:  The biggest aspect of in-person SURF that I missed was the question/answer section after the presentation, because I think that is a great way for the research to be discussed.

 

Do you see any advantages or value in this new digital format?

RB:  One advantage of the digital format is that it allows students to have recordings of their presentations that they can later link on professional websites. This may be helpful when applying to future job opportunities and graduate school. I think the greatest advantage of this format is that it provides an opportunity for increased accessibility of materials. It was really easy for me to caption my presentation and link my presentation slides so that viewers could use screen readers or other accessibility software to understand my materials.

KF:  There is value to this digital format. One is able to view more presentations without scheduling being a hindrance. For example, before, one would have to pick and choose what presentation to attend given the allotted time. Now, I'm able to explore every presentation that invokes my interest.

MF:  I think that being able to record ourselves at least allows others to be able to watch, especially if they were unable to attend SURF themselves.

RI:  The new digital format allows for more flexibility when watching presentations. In the past, there were times when I had to give up going to a presentation because there was another one happening at the same time that I wanted to see more. However, with the digital format, I can watch any of the presentations whenever I want to. I can also re-watch a presentation if I wanted to.

AW:  I think both formats work well, but nothing can replace the process of presenting in person. It provides such great practice that cannot be replicated making a video.

 

All presentations for SURF 2020 can be accessed on the Carroll Scholars Institutional Repository at: carroll.edu/digitalsurf.