There are many types of work products you can use to document what you learned during your experience. You are not limited to the following suggestions but need to detail which work product you will complete for credit in your Memorandum of Agreement.

Narrative journal or blog

  • Keep a record of your ideas, questions, and reflections related to your experiences and learning during the activity.
  • Comment on how your experiences relate to animal sciences.
  • Journals and blogs should include entries at least twice per week.
  • At the conclusion of your experience, include a summary of the key questions, themes, discoveries, and connections and patterns that you became aware of through this process.

View an example

In-depth research into a practice or theory in animal science

  • Select one or two major theories or practices within the broad realm of animal sciences that relate to your experience.
  • Review the published literature which relates to these theories or practices. Describe the evolution of this theory or practice, the arguments for or against it, and the future outlook regarding its use.
  • Provide examples from your own experience regarding this theory or practice. Indicate and exemplify what you learned about those theories or practices from your experiential learning activities and how you came about that learning.

Series of interviews

  • Interview at least three professionals in animal sciences that you directly interact with during your experience.
  • Develop a set of in-depth questions through which the interviewees can relate their personal histories and experiences that have led them to this point in their careers.
  • Plot these people’s lives according to key transformational events and periods in their career development. 
  • Explain patterns your interviews reveal and how they relate to people entering animal science careers.
  • Use the interviewees’ stories to reflect upon and expose the foundational beliefs and values that underlie animal sciences as a profession and how that profession impacts society and culture.

Presentation or mixed media portfolio

  • Use this format to illustrate your personal experiences and learning and how you came about that learning.
  • Focus on a theme or theory that underlies the broad field of animal sciences and shows how animal sciences impacts society and local culture. Include clear evidence of your personal reflections on the above points.
  • The multimedia portfolio may include sketches, photos, videos, or other formats that demonstrate what you learned as part of your experience.

Instructional module or presentation

  • Create a comprehensive tutorial to teach to others a complex concept or skill that you learned during your experience.
  • The instructional module may be in an electronic form (such as PowerPoint, webpages, or other), in a video format, presented as a workshop for the intended audience, or presented as a detailed stand-alone poster.
  • Base your tutorial on your experience with your fellow students as your target audience.
  • Include some means of engaging your audience in an activity during your tutorial and strategies for presentation of your tutorial by others. 
  • Include a summary describing the important concepts or theories that contributed to the development of your tutorial.

Research poster or presentation

  • Present your undergraduate research in the form of a scientific poster to be presented at the Undergraduate Research Symposium (link https://undergradresearch.illinois.edu/symposium.html) or at a scientific meeting.
  • This poster should include an abstract of the research, introduction, materials and methods, results, tables, or figures and discussion and adhere to the format required for the meeting you are presenting at.
  • Additionally, prepare a short report regarding your growth as a scientist and detailing what you learned from your experience and how this will impact your career plans.