Even Freshman Can Do Research

One of the issues many of us have struggled with is exactly what sort of preparation do undergraduates need in order to start meaningful reasearch in CG. I'd like to propose that even first year students, with essentially no background, can do research.

Why do I say this? Is it because I'd like to see students getting involved as soon as possible? Well, yes, I'd have to plead guilty to that, but I also believe that when it comes to undergraduate research, interest and motivation are as, if not more, importrant than skills and knowledge. I'd rather have a highly motoivated B student than an apathetic A student any day.

Of course, if one allows for entering students to become engaged in research, the question looms as to what sort of CG work they could do. These newbie students might (perhaps) have some programming experience, or have worked with graphics, but neither can be assumed. But, they supposedly do have an interest in CG and, one might assume, at least a layperson's understanding of the field.

So, why not capatilize on this and have the students do research into a specific technique, learning as much as they can about it, and then creating a report they can present at the end. Along the way, these students will no doubt stumble across more questions than they actually get to answer. They're not performing original work, in the sense that a new problem is being solved; rather, they're exploring the state of the art in order to create an on-going study. And, they're learning a lot about CG as well.

I suppose this all derives from my definition of the term "research". I define the trerm as any focussed exploration, whether or not it's solving a novel problem. If this is a valid definition, then it seems obvious that first year students can do CG research.

The Council on Undergraduate Research (http://www.cur.org" state that "faculty members enhance their teaching and contribution to society by remaining active in research and by involving undergraduates in research." The National Science Foundation has a program that supports Research Experiences for Undergraduates (http://www.nsf.gov/home/crssprgm/reu/start.htm). Clearly, the support is there, so why is there not a greater momentum to get first year students involved?

Bring out the comfy chair!

This past term, I've been on sabbatical, and have visited several schools in the Northeast to see what they've been up to regarding student research. I learned quite a bit, but there was one aspect of my trips, one gem I learned I'd like to pass on. That is, if you're going to engage students in research, you can benefit greatly not only from labs to do work in, but also from places to sit and talk. Let's call then Community Spaces, okay? Great!

These Community Spaces came in various forms, but for the mostr part had the following: comfortable seating, low tables and optionally boards to write on. Now, if one wants to set up a space like this in a school where only undergrads exist, then justification rears its head. Also, I'm sure that for many of you, space is always an issue, and setting aside even a little bit for a Community Space can be a battle.

Still, the advantages far outweigh the drawbacks, the struggles you might encounter. Also, they be used solely by students when doing work on their own. At WestConn, I've convinced (sort of) our chair to purchase some comfy chairs, a coffe table, and have additional boards mounted in a space where we already have aq table and chairs. I've also convinced others to stick a wireless connection in the area.

So, what are your thoughts? Do you have Community Spaces? If so, whaqt are they like? How effective are they?