Overview

Numerous studies have served as a guide for developing the Affinity Research Group concept. Studies show that fewer than one-fourth of the subjects mentioned ability and intelligence as keys to their academic success, but instead rated persistence as the single most important characteristic. The following factors have been identified as important for persistence in school:

• students provide role models for each other,
• faculty and students interact outside the classroom,
• students have settings in which they can competently interact and discuss issues,
• students see continual improvement in their abilities and skills,
• students receive help in clarifying and maintaining their goals, and
• students are involved in their college learning experience.

While these all apply at some level to all students, they are particularly relevant to students like those who attend UTEP. Students learn by becoming involved, and success in learning leads to improved retention of students. This is critical for minority as well as low-income and otherwise disadvantaged students who have been found to be passive in academic settings. It is clear that isolation and alienation are the best predictors of failure. The Affinity Research Group concept incorporates mechanisms that address each of the persistence factors. For example, Affinity Research Groups provide an atmosphere in which students can become involved and serve as role models for each other, and a platform for students to set and assess personal and group goals throughout their education. A person's own self-worth is raised when a representative of his or her group succeeds by sustained effort. Clearly, this concept provides a "small school'' environment at a large, commuter university in a cost effective manner.

Research groups can be structured in several different ways: hierarchical, integral, or hybrid. A hierarchical model is based on a pyramidal structure where the layers represent decreasing order of expertise and authority. An integral model is one in which faculty mentors and students work as peers, while a hybrid model incorporates aspects of both. The Systems and Software Engineering Affinity Laboratory (SSEAL) group is developing an integral model.

The goal of the Affinity Research Group project is twofold: to increase the retention and participation of traditionally underrepresented groups in the computing areas, and to provide the framework that involves these students in activities that include research and curriculum development, and that supports research projects and outreach programs. With respect to this goal, the objectives of the Affinity Research Group project} include: to provide an environment that supports persistence; to define activities that develop the student's research, technical, group, and communication skills; to document and disseminate the infrastructure for creating and managing effective research groups that involve students with a wide range of abilities and experiences; and to develop a formative evaluation instrument that can be used to provide adopters of the model with feedback for refining the model.

The Affinity Research Group concept and model provides an innovative way of structuring research groups that involve undergraduate and graduate students. Built on a cooperative model, Affinity Research Groups include students with a wide range of experiences and skill levels, and provide them with an opportunity to deepen their knowledge in a technical area. Through structured activities, students develop skills and strategies that will make them effective leaders and successful in research, academia, and industry.