Cultivating and Nurturing Undergraduate IS Research

Assurance of student motivation and retention is a central challenge for Information Systems faculty. A promising means of stimulating interest in the Information Systems major and in subsequent graduate degree programs is undergraduate Information Systems research. Undergraduate Information Systems research allows students to engage more deeply with questions pertaining to Information Systems development and use, and it advances students’ cognitive and intellectual growth above and beyond what can be achieved with traditional classroom activities. As such, undergraduate Information Systems research is a high impact learning experience. Yet, this advanced form of student engagement with Information Systems material remains in its infancy; teaching tips are lacking that promote it and provide guidance on how to mentor undergraduate Information Systems researchers. Using Bloom’s taxonomy of cognitive skills and Malachowski’s stages of mentoring framework, the present teaching tip emphasizes the continued need of cultivating and nurturing undergraduate Information Systems research, and it provides guidance for Information Systems faculty on how to mentor undergraduate Information Systems researchers