Salient Practices of Mentoring Undergraduate Research

Making College “Worth It” – Season 1, Episode 6

In this episode, we visit with Helen Walkington, Professor of Higher Education at Oxford Brookes University, UK, and Eric Hall, professor of exercise science at Elon University, about the salient practices of mentoring undergraduate research. Professors Walkington and Hall were part of a research team that conducted an extensive review of the literature on mentoring undergraduate research, identifying ten salient practices which support effective mentoring of undergraduate researchers, and they continue to research the ways that mentoring informed by the salient practices makes college “worth it” for students.

View a transcript of this episode.

Meet Our Guests

Helen Walkington, Ph.D. (hwalkington@brookes.ac.uk) is Professor of Higher Education at Oxford Brookes University, UK, where her research focuses on higher education pedagogy (as well as soils research in her discipline of geography). Her specific interests include the research – teaching nexus, developing undergraduate students as researchers and teacher excellence in mentoring practice. Helen is a National Teaching Fellow (2009) and Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2012). Helen has written papers, chapters, books and guides relating to teaching and learning in education. She has established undergraduate research conferences and journals and has been a steering group member of the British Conference of Undergraduate Research (BCUR) since its inception in 2010. She is editor-in-chief of the undergraduate research journal GEOverse, Associate Editor of Higher Education Pedagogies, International co- editor for Scholarship and Practice of Undergraduate Research and Editorial board member of the Journal of Geography in Higher Education. Helen Co-convenes the academic practice network of the Society for Research in Higher Education and co-chairs the International Network for Learning and Teaching. In 2018 Helen was awarded the Taylor and Francis Award for ‘sustained contributions to teaching and learning in Higher Education’ by the Royal Geographical Society.

Eric Hall, Ph.D. (ehall@elon.edu) is a professor of exercise science at Elon University in North Carolina (USA). His primary research interest is in the area of exercise neuroscience and includes research and education in the area of physical activity and mental health and also explores the impact of concussions in student-athletes. Additionally, he is interested in the influence of high impact practices on student development as well as the faculty role of mentorship in high impact practices. He has authored over 70 research articles, 6 book chapters and is the co-editor of book on concussions in athletics. At his institution he has received awards for his mentorship of undergraduate students and scholarship.

Episode Credits

This episode is co-hosted by Jessie L. Moore, Director of Elon University’s Center for Engaged Learning, and Nolan Schultheis, a first-year student at Elon University, studying Psychology with an interest in law. Jessie L. Moore edited the episode. Making College “Worth It” is produced by Elon University’s Center for Engaged Learning.

Episode art was created by Jennie Goforth, managing editor for the Center for Engaged Learning, and Nolan Schultheis, the Center’s undergraduate Podcast Producer.

Funky Percussions is by Denys Kyshchuk (@audiocoffeemusic) – https://www.audiocoffee.net/. Soft Beat is by ComaStudio.

Learn More about Research Featured in this Episode

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.

View/download a printable list of the Salient Practices

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