The "study and research" program of the Jaume I University: description of the program and experiences in student mentoring

Abstract

The "Study and research at the UJI" program, is an initiative of the Jaume I University (UJI) which offers to students the possibility of obtaining research and academic training out of regular studies, and allows them to develop their capacity for reflection and analysis through the achievement of academic and personal competences. The training is based on a motivating topic that is relevant to the degree they are enrolled. The initiative kicked-off the 2008/2009 academic year and it is still active and growing.

The Program is coordinated and managed by the UJI Educational Support Unit (UJI-ESU) through Imma Usó (author of this work). The Program is aimed primarily at first-year students with excellent performance in high school and in the university access exam (in the Spanish scale, 9.5 out of 14.0 points of average grade). Also to the finalists of the Spanish high school academic Olympics. And finally, to students in second, third or fourth years who have not been beneficiaries of this Program, who have a good academic record and who are personally interested. In the first two cases, the UJI-ESU contacts the students and offers them the initiative and a list of research groups to choose from. In the third case, it is the student himself who searches for the research group that interests him/her, contacts his/her principal investigator (PI) and requests his assignment, which is valued by the UJI-ESU staff. The first two groups have the opportunity to start basic research tasks, such as starting in the scientific method and participating in a research project. The third group can address more specialized and complex tasks such as the design and development of a mini-project inside a research project. All this under the supervision of the mentor and with his/her support and that of the whole research group.

One of the principles of the Program is that participation is flexible and the academic obligations of the student must be respected, who is also obliged to maintain his level of excellence in his/her academic record. On the other hand, there are also academic benefits and in the use of UJI educational resources and facilities, both for mentors and students.

The objective of this work is to describe the Program details and generals results and the personal experience as principal investigator-mentor of one of authors (O. Coltell), who participated in the first, 2008/2009, and in the last 2018/2019 academic years, mentoring students of first and third groups, with very different results.