Online Program

Training and Evaluating New Student Consultants at a University Consulting Center (303045)

Keywords: communication, training, consulting, video assessment

In the summer of 2014, the University of Minnesota Statistical Consulting Service began an initiative to increase student participation in collaborative projects. Fifteen projects involving 31 students were included. Most students were new to statistical consulting and had little collaborative experience. Training was mostly done during the course of the project and included video recording of the initial meeting and discussion in groups of the challenges the projects faced—both technical and nontechnical. Following the projects, both the student consultants and the clients were interviewed and surveyed to determine the success of the initiative, from both the student and client perspectives. Steps for improving the program next summer are proposed.