🎓 For Students

Interested in Research?

I regularly advise undergraduate and graduate students on research projects across a range of computing topics. If you’re a student interested in conducting research with me, read on to learn more about my research areas, expectations, and how to get started.

Let’s turn your curiosity into original research!

🧠 My Research Interests

I supervise projects in a variety of areas including:

  • 🎓 Computing Education Research (CER)
  • 🤖 Artificial Intelligence in Education
  • 🧪 Software Testing and Feedback Systems
  • 🌐 Interdisciplinary Applications of Computing
  • 🐢 Conservation Technology and Data Science

Learn more about my ongoing and past projects at lpcordova.com/projects. I also welcome proposals in adjacent or new areas of computing—if you have an idea, let’s talk!

📝 Getting Started: Proposing a Research Project

Students interested in research should begin by drafting a proposal and reaching out to me before the end of the semester prior to the semester in which they would like to begin. Proposals should follow this general outline:

📋 Proposal Requirements

  • Credit Hours: Typically 2 or 4 credits depending on time commitment. (Non-credit research through a scholarship is also possible.)

  • Initial Reading List: Include foundational articles or papers that identify a gap in knowledge.

  • Introductory Project: A small starting task to demonstrate your understanding and commitment, such as replicating prior work.

  • Project Scope: Define what you aim to accomplish.

  • Weekly Meetings: You’ll meet with me regularly during the semester. These meetings are where we think, plan, and reflect together. As you come up with your proposal, consider:

    What do you hope to accomplish in our weekly meetings? How can I best support your growth as a researcher?

    To help you frame your thinking, here are some common activities we often engage in:

    - Discuss literature and readings
- Generate hypotheses or goals
- Design methodology for data collection or experimentation
- Analyze results and plan next steps
- Review and revise your writing

📄 Research Output

By the end of the semester, students are expected to:

  • Submit a research paper in a format consistent with computing research publications
  • Graduate students should aim for a conference or journal submission to disseminate their work and should minimally present at TechBytes
  • Undergraduate students present at the Student Scholarship Recognition Day (SSRD), at TechBytes events, and should also aim for a conference or journal submission if possible

💡 Getting Started on a Proposal

Before reaching out to begin an Individual Research Experience for credit or scholarship, you’ll need to develop a research idea that aligns with your interests and has potential for meaningful investigation. This guide will help you get started.

🔍 Step 1: Explore Research Areas

Start by considering broad themes that interest you. Some areas I actively work in include:

  • 🎓 Computing Education Research (CER)
  • 🤖 AI in Education & Generative Feedback
  • 🧪 Software Testing & Feedback Systems
  • 🌐 Interdisciplinary Applications of Computing
  • 🐢 Conservation Technology & Data Science

Visit my research projects page to see recent work and ongoing efforts. I’m also open to adjacent or new topics in computing, as long as they’re meaningful, feasible, and intellectually engaging.

🧠 Step 2: Identify a Problem or Question

Ask yourself:

  • What bothers you in your field of study? What’s inefficient, unclear, or underexplored?
  • Have you encountered a concept in a class that you’d like to understand better?
  • Is there a tool or system that could be improved with computing?
  • Can AI or data science contribute to a social, environmental, or educational cause you care about?

Jot down 2–3 questions or problems you’re curious about. Try to keep them broad at this stage.

📘 Step 3: Do a Quick Literature Scan

Search Google Scholar, the ACM Digital Library, or arXiv to see:

  • What others have done on this topic
  • How they’ve framed their research questions
  • What methods they’ve used

This doesn’t have to be exhaustive—just enough to ensure your idea is novel or builds meaningfully on existing work.

✍️ Step 4: Draft an Initial Proposal (1–2 pages)

Bring a short, informal proposal when you first meet with me. It should include:

1. Working Title

A descriptive placeholder is fine. e.g., “Using LLMs to Support Early CS Students with Auto-Graded Feedback”

2. Motivation

Why is this topic important, timely, or interesting? What gap or problem are you hoping to address?

3. Research Questions or Hypothesis

State your main inquiry clearly. Examples:

  • Can GPT-4 give helpful feedback on beginner Python assignments?
  • How do students interpret different types of automated feedback?

4. Planned Approach

How will you explore this? Think about:

  • Data sources (real or synthetic)
  • Tools (e.g., GPT-4, Python, survey tools)
  • Methods (e.g., prompt engineering, code analysis, surveys)

5. Dissemination Ideas

Would you want to aim for a paper? Poster? Prototype? Public data release? Let’s set early goals.

6. What You’ll Need

What help, access, or tools do you anticipate needing (e.g., GPT access, data, IRB approval)?

✅ What Happens Next?

Once you’ve drafted your initial idea, email me and we’ll set up a meeting. We’ll discuss:

  • Feasibility
  • Relevance to your interests and my expertise
  • Milestones and weekly schedule
  • Deliverables and expectations

If we agree to move forward, I’ll help you refine the proposal and outline a formal plan for the term. Here’s a sample of what a fleshed out project might look like.

📅 Tip: Reach Out Early

Please contact me before the end of the previous term that you wish to conduct research to give us time to plan. Proposals that involve human subjects (surveys, interviews, etc.) may require IRB approval, which can take time.