Abstract:

During the lockdown of the Summer term of 2020, a small group of undergraduate students of the Department of Digital Media participated in a newly formed research lab to learn basic research practice, evidence-based inquiry, and research-informed creative experimentation. The students were asked to identify topics of interest and propose a method of investigation supported by literature, methodology, and experiments appropriate to topics. The goal was to work independently and to create an intellectual space to freely express ideas and questions related to the field and beyond, and to foster cross-disciplinary and critical thinking. This opportunity to offer students research-focused work during the 2020 summer term in place of co-op assignments impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic was a highly successful initiative. The lab did not have a previous history, it never existed as a face-to-face class and therefore it allowed us to create an entirely new remote activity that was not only educational but also engaged students during a difficult period.

Keywords:

Undergraduate research, remote lab.