Under-Represented Populations Instruments

Student Journal/Log Entries

Instrument 1: Journal Questions

Project: Women in Science Program
Dartmouth College

Funding Source: NSF: Career Access Activities in Science & Technology for Women (HRD)

Purpose: To gather ongoing information about the experiences and feelings of students participating in the program

Administered To: Participating undergraduate students who had been placed in internships

Topics Covered:

• Comparisons: expectations of impact, prior coursework
• Course Evaluation: activities, areas for program improvement, collaboration, effectiveness, exemplary areas, instructor, satisfaction, student/teacher interaction, support
• Identity Issues: gender roles
• Impact on Outcomes: awareness, career interests, confidence, student attitudes, student interest
• Mentoring & Support: activities, interests
• Perceptions (Student): peer attitudes, project, role
• Background Characteristics & Activities (Student): purpose for participation

Format/Length: 9 open-ended themes/questions. Each theme is the central topic for one week of journal entries. Each theme/question has a number of sub-questions that require the student to reflect further on the issue or the theme for the week.

1) What were your initial impressions (about any aspect of the internship)? What has struck you most about your internship so far? What was different than you envisioned or expected? What were your gut or emotional reactions—how do you feel at the moment about your internship (overwhelmed, excited, unprepared, challenged, intimidated, etc.)?

2) This week, I'd like you to tell me about your role, tasks, and responsibilities in your internship. Picture that a friend has asked you to explain how your work fits into the larger purpose or research question(s) being investigated. You may not know all of the terminology as yet (but neither will your friend); describe your work in whatever terms you feel work best. How comfortable do you feel asking for more background information about your work? What has helped or hindered you in understanding the bigger picture? [If you would like, feel free to use this question as a means to initiate a relevant conversation with your sponsor.]

3) This week's focus is on communication in your internship. What are the interactions like with different members of your project or research team? What is the nature of YOUR communication, e.g., do you ask to have your work assignments or plans established for the week, do you always ask for help when you need it, have you asked any questions about the lifestyle of an academic researcher, have you asked for any academic advice, do you have purely social conversations ? What kind of communication is typically started by your sponsor or assistant sponsor? How do they treat you? As part of the "team?" How do the members of your lab or project keep each other informed about their progress and findings or get feedback? What kind of interactions occur between your research group or project personnel and their larger community (how do they disseminate or receive information from their colleagues at other institutions?)

4) This week, I'm interested in learning about some of the sources of stress and frustration that you have encountered in your internship. What has been frustrating for you? Please think about this in broad terms—you may or may not have control over them, they may or may not be science-related. For example, they might include: a commute, the lab lingo that you need(ed) to become familiar with, never knowing whether a trial or experiment will be successful until it is done, finicky procedures or instruments, dealing with co-workers, etc. What sorts of frustrations are you facing at the moment? If there was one thing that you could change what would it be? (Go for it, no need to be realistic!)

5) This week I'd like you to reflect about some of the nonscientific aspects and understandings that you are gaining from your internship. Has your internship or conversations with coworkers provided you with any new insights about academic classes or careers (that you would either be interested or uninterested in pursuing)? What kind of advice or mentoring do you get (or seek out) from your coworkers? Does anyone serve as a role model? What have you learned about yourself, your interests, and your likes or dislikes from the experience? (For example, the internship may have improved your responsibility or time management skills, you might have realized that you love working without much supervision, or perhaps that your future career will need to bring you into contact with many more people). This question is highly individualistic and broad; please reflect on whatever you feel has been valuable for you to learn or realize.

6) In this journal, I'd like you to reflect on the issue of women in science, math, and engineering both on a personal and institutional level. What are your experiences or feelings about the issue of women in these fields? Have you perceived or experienced any differences, difficulties, or sexism in your classes (high school or college), in your internship, or in larger society? If so, please describe. Have you discussed the issue of women in science, math, or engineering either in the context of your internship or with other people? Why do you think that WISP exists; what purpose does or should it serve? Do you think that internships should be open to men? Why or why not?

7) This week I'd like you to reflect on the "culture" of science, math, and engineering. What have you become aware of about science in the course of your internship that the average citizen wouldn't know? If you were to explain to a friend how science operates or describe the culture of your internship site, what would you say?

8) This week I'm interested in your reflections about a few different topics. First, how has the WISP experience influenced your personal views or attitudes about science and its status? Second, how has your internship experience expanded on or contradicted your experiences in college labs? (I realize that for some internships this question may not be relevant.) Third, (how) has the internship influenced your confidence in your scientific abilities?

9) Please use this last journal to review your internship as a whole. What reflections do you have regarding your preparation for the poster symposium? In more general terms: What were the highs and lows, the most rewarding and most frustrating aspects or experiences of the experience? What would you do differently? What are your thoughts about the WISP internship program overall: Did you get sufficient support? What would have been helpful to know before or along the way? What worked well? How could the project be improved? Feel free to include any other end-of-the-year reflections.