HomeBlogUndergraduate Research Multi-Semester Undergraduate Research Experiencesby Jessie L. MooreJanuary 1, 2026 Share: Section NavigationSkip section navigationIn this sectionPodcasts – Home 60-Second SoTL Limed: Teaching with a Twist Making College “Worth It” Special Series First-Year Seminars Land Acknowledgement 60-Second SoTL – Episode 67 What challenges do students encounter in a multi-semester, capstone undergraduate research experience, and what supports do they need to navigate those challenges? This episode highlights an open-access article that examines STEM graduates’ reflections on a three-semester capstone research sequence. Read the full article: Colclasure, Blake C., and Tyler Granberry. 2025. “Challenges and Supports Experienced by Students Completing a Multi-Semester Capstone Undergraduate Research Experience: Reflections from Program Graduates.” Teaching and Learning Inquiry 13 (December): 1–17. https://doi.org/10.20343/teachlearninqu.13.57. View a transcript of this episode. Show Credits This episode was hosted, edited, and produced by Jessie L. Moore, Director of the Center for Engaged Learning and Professor of Professional Writing & Rhetoric. 60-Second SoTL is produced by the Center for Engaged Learning at Elon University. Music: “Cryptic” by AudioCoffee. Image in episode art is by Freepik. Explore Related Resources Elon Statement on Capstone Experiences Download a printer-friendly (PDF) copy of the Elon Statement on Capstone Experiences by Caroline J. Ketcham, Anthony G. Weaver, Jillian Kinzie, and Jessie L. Moore From 2018 to 2020, twenty-two scholars participated in the Center for Engaged Learning research seminar… Capstone Experiences Definition Capstone experiences aim to facilitate students’ sense-making of their growth and development across their major or general educational studies and have been a hallmark of undergraduate education in one form or another for at least as long as higher education has… Salient Practices Following an extensive review of the literature on mentoring undergraduate research, ten salient practices emerged which support effective mentoring of undergraduate researchers. These practices can be used to develop a mentoring pedagogy of high quality. Understanding Signature Work: A Transformative High-Impact Practice in Higher Education Signature work represents one of higher education’s most innovative approaches to deep, integrative learning. As defined by the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U 2015), signature work consists of student-driven, integrative projects that address complex, real-world problems by synthesizing… Different Types of Signature Work As discussed in the initial post in this series, signature work consists of student-driven, integrative projects that address complex, real-world problems by synthesizing knowledge across disciplines. In this post, I examine types of engaged learning activities that could be categorized… History of Signature Work Previous posts in this series have introduced “signature work” and explored the variety of engaged learning activities that could be classified as signature work. In this post, I look at the history of signature work and reflect on its impact… How Inclusive Signature Work Impacts Students In higher education, students are meant to turn what they learn into skills for their future careers. Signature work allows students to integrate their knowledge into solving real-world problems, according to the literature on this topic. Authors Elizabeth Jach and… Implementing Signature Work: Institutional Examples and Readiness Strategies Previous posts in this series have defined signature work, shared examples of types of signature work, explored the development of this potential high-impact practice, and examined its impact for students. In this post, I explore implementation of signature work at… 1 2 >
