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Measuring Networking as an Outcome Variable in Undergraduate Research Experiences
David I Hanauer1, Graham Hatfull2
1*English Department, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA 15705-1094 hanauer@iup.edu.
CBE Life Sciences Education
|November 6, 2015
Summary
A new survey tool effectively measures student conversational networking across personal and professional spheres. This validated instrument shows high reliability and can differentiate networking experiences, aiding student retention and scientific literacy.
Area of Science:
- Educational Psychology
- Sociology of Science
Background:
- Student networking is crucial for academic and professional development.
- Existing methods for measuring student networking are limited.
- Conversational networking impacts student engagement and retention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose, present, and validate a simple survey instrument for measuring student conversational networking.
- To assess the psychometric properties of the proposed networking scale.
- To explore the relationship between networking and project ownership.
Main Methods:
- Development and validation of a five-item conversational networking survey.
- Psychometric analysis including factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency.
- Known-groups comparison between undergraduate laboratory courses with varying networking designs.
- Binary logistic regression to examine links with project ownership.
Main Results:
- The networking instrument demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.88).
- Factor analysis confirmed a unitary dimension for the networking scale.
- The scale significantly differentiated between research experiences with low and high networking.
- Networking scales were found to be related to project ownership.
Conclusions:
- The validated survey instrument is a reliable tool for measuring student conversational networking.
- The findings support the use of this instrument to enhance student retention and public scientific literacy.
- The instrument can help differentiate laboratory courses based on networking opportunities.
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