2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

The EvaluateUR Method measures student learning by providing statistically reliable assessments in a wide variety of outcome categories, including disciplinary and employability skills. The method supports a range of experiences (variants) including independent research (EvaluateUR), course-based research experiences (EvaluateUR-CURE also known as E-CURE for short), business or industry internships (Evaluate-Internship or E-Internship), and collegiate competitions (Evaluate-Compete or E-Compete). With support from the NSF Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program, the EvaluateUR method is being expanded to allow greater flexibility by introducing options within each variant. These include a student-only scored assessment option for students conducting research at a university or other research laboratory and an option for shorter duration course-based research experiences. The new options offer alternatives to the student-mentor scored assessment options developed from a previous NSF ATE award. The set of outcome categories and their defining components used by all four variants have been mapped to the performance indicators and rubrics associated with ABET Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) and Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission (ETAC) Criterion 3 Student Outcomes. The EvaluateUR Method has been shown to reliably measure student learning and promotes metacognitive growth and reflective practice among students. The method serves as a learning tool preparing students to further their academic careers and enter the workplace by helping them identify and leverage disciplinary knowledge while building their problem-solving skills, communications skills, strategies for overcoming obstacles, and other technical skills essential for career readiness. The EvaluateUR method fosters a cyclical process of planning, monitoring, and evaluating, which are core elements of metacognitive practice. All the EvaluateUR Method variants share common assessment phases, with each including opportunities for self-reflection and dialog with mentor(s) or internship supervisors. The timing of assessments is flexible and selected when the initial tracking dashboard is set up. The phases allow students to consider their initial perceptions and self-reported knowledge and skills using a set of outcomes defined by components, explore their prior research experience, and reflect on strengths and uncertainties about the project they are conducting. At the midpoint, the assessment supports reflection about the project's progress, allowing students to consider their approaches, identify effective strategies, and adjust their methods in response to challenges. The final phase involves self-reflection where students assess what they achieved and how they managed their learning and research processes, helping them understand the outcomes as well as the methodologies and strategies that were effective or could be improved.