The Research Project in Computer Science Bachelor Education
Undergraduate Research Experience at Scale
M.A. Migut (TU Delft - Web Information Systems)
Aleksander Buszydlik (Student TU Delft)
Mathijs M. de Weerdt (TU Delft - Algorithmics)
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Abstract
Exposure to research is an important component of undergraduate university education, cultivating critical thinking, problem-solving, and preparation for advanced study. However, providing individual research experiences for large cohorts of undergraduate students poses significant logistical challenges. This paper demonstrates how an undergraduate research experience can be achieved at scale for a large computer science program. Our approach integrates individual research projects into the undergraduate computer science curriculum for up to almost 400 students within a single 10-week course. We describe three key features of our approach: (1) a matching algorithm that assigns students to research projects based on their preferences, (2) peer-group collaboration, and (3) a distributed supervision and assessment model to guide students through key research activities that include reformulating research questions, designing experiments/user studies, and presenting research. Results and feedback indicate that both students and supervisors are satisfied, demonstrating the feasibility and effectiveness of this scalable approach for integrating research experiences into large undergraduate computer science programs.
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