Inclusion of Online Students in a Campus-Wide Research Symposium

Abstract

This article communicates a methodology for and benefits of including online student presentations in an on-campus research symposium named Scholar Day at A (SDA). The authors provide an account of how SDA was structured to allow participation of online students; and how, during an aggressive outbreak of COVID-19 in the Spring of 2020, the event was shifted online. Student feedback was collected in both quantitative and qualitative formats. Data suggest students were satisfied with the events and felt SDA accomplished the primary goal, “to highlight the scholarly work of LSUA students.” The method of including online students was refined in each of the three years to identify the most effective model of inclusion for online students. The authors conclude that, while there are challenges to accommodating online student presentations, the benefits of their inclusion are far greater both to the participating students and to the larger campus community.

Keywords

• inclusion of online students
• student research
• campus symposium
• online student engagement