The UNM STEM-H Center has developed this 5-module, self-paced, online course available to teachers and student researchers. The training modules focus on best practices for presenting student research. Many students and teachers often need increased understanding and proficiency in writing abstracts and research papers, preparing oral presentations, creating effective slide decks, and data analysis & statistics. The modules can be completed in any order and once registered, participants can come back to the site anytime to access resource materials, review content, etc.
These training modules offer teachers an opportunity to build their own skill base and increase their confidence in supporting student researchers as they prepare for JSHS and other STEM research competitions. The modules provide student researchers interested in being well-prepared to present their work in research competitions or poster sessions with the knowledge and skill development to do that with confidence.
The training modules are and will always be FREE of charge. A certificate of completion for each module can be printed once the requirements of the modules have been met. Teachers – certainly use these certificates as proof of completion of professional development. Students – keep the certificate(s) as proof of completion AND add the modules you complete to your resume!
Watch a quick video on How to Register/Enroll. Creating an account in our online LMS will give you access to complete any of the currently available training modules!
This module contains an overview of competitions in which student researchers may present and compete with their work. We hope that raising awareness about the many programs/competitions/opportunities and the fact that students can participate with the same project in more than one event will encourage students to complete a research project and increase participation in the various competitions. Students who compete in one or more STEM research competitions become eligible to compete for millions of dollars in prizes, scholarships, trips, and more!
This is a comprehensive training focused on how to write high quality STEM research papers to journal publication and competition standards. Additionally, a significant portion of the training addresses how and when to write an effective, publication-ready project abstract.
This module presents best practices for the design and presentation of research findings in PowerPoint (or other similar applications). The training offers information about creating engaging visuals, using best practices for things like fonts/font sizes, color schemes, data visualizations & graphics, choosing a theme, recommendations about use of animations, etc.
Learn to plan for, design, and rehearse your oral presentations during competition judging and/or poster presentations. How do you relate to your slides without reading from them? What are the best ways to plan & design an oral presentation of research findings? Are there tips & tricks to creating awesome oral presentations? How much rehearsal is recommended? What are the most effective ways to prepare to present orally? How should presenters dress? How can presenters effectively deal with their nerves, anxiety, or stage fright? What are some presentation pacing strategies?
Learn to choose the best statistical testing methods for a project, understand how to run those tests, figure out what the analysis means, and finally understand how to interpret the results of data analysis. Having a solid handle not only on the raw data, but on what the statistical analyses of the data reveal will help researchers explain and support their written & oral presentation of findings during competition judging.