scholarly journals Cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes associated with student engagement in a novel brain chemoarchitecture mapping course-based undergraduate research experience

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina E. D’Arcy ◽  
Anais Martinez ◽  
Arshad M. Khan ◽  
Jeffrey T. Olimpo
Keyword(s):  
Brain Mapping ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Scientific Discovery ◽  
Tissue Level ◽  
Cognitive Outcomes ◽  
Science Identity ◽  
Brain Atlas ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Laboratory Courses

AbstractCourse-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) engage emerging scholars in the authentic process of scientific discovery, and foster their development of content knowledge, motivation, and persistence in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Importantly, authentic research courses simultaneously offer investigators unique access to an extended population of students who receive education and mentoring in conducting scientifically relevant investigations and who are thus able to contribute effort toward big-data projects. While this paradigm benefits fields in neuroscience, such as atlas-based brain mapping of nerve cells at the tissue level, there are few documented cases of such laboratory courses offered in the domain.Here, we describe a curriculum designed to address this deficit, evaluate the scientific merit of novel student-produced brainatlasmapsofimmunohistochemically-identifiednervecellpopulations for the rat brain, and assess shifts in science identity, attitudes, and science communication skills of students engaged in the introductory-level Brain Mapping and Connectomics (BM&C) CURE. BM&C students reported gains in research and science process skills following participation in the course. Furthermore, BM&C students experienced a greater sense of science identity, including a greater likelihood to discuss course activities with non-class members compared to their non-CURE counterparts. Importantly, evaluation of student-generated brain atlas maps indicated that the course enabled students to produce scientifically valid products and make new discoveries to advance the field of neuroanatomy. Together, these findings support the efficacy of the BM&C course in addressing the relatively esoteric demands of chemoarchitectural brain mapping.

Cases and Commentaries

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Kovac
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Ethical Problem ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Industrial Chemistry ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Ethical Problems ◽  
Laboratory Courses ◽  
Course Of Action ◽  
Life Problems

Just as in chemistry, the best way to learn ethical problem solving is to confront context-rich, real-life problems (Jonsen and Toulmin 1988; Davis 1999, 143–175). The broad variety of ethical problems, or cases, presented here are hypothetical situations, but represent the kinds of problems working chemists and students face. Cases raising similar ethical questions are grouped together. To reach a diverse audience, I sometimes write several variations of the same situation. For example, a question might be posed from the perspective of the graduate student in one version and from the perspective of the research di­rector in another. For important issues I provide cases that are accessible to undergraduates who have very little research experience, usually in the context of laboratory courses. For advanced undergraduates, some cases involve undergraduate research projects. Most of the cases involve situations encountered in graduate research in universities, but some also concern industrial chemistry. Finally, a few cases present ethical problems that arise in cooperative learning, a pedagogical technique that is becoming increasingly important in undergraduate education. Each case, or related set of cases, is followed by a commentary that outlines the important issues and discusses possible solutions. Some of the commentaries are quite extensive and actually present and defend my preferred course of action; others are brief and merely raise questions that should be considered in designing a solution. The commentaries model the ethical problem-solving method presented in Chapter 6. As I have emphasized repeatedly, most ethical problems do not have clean solutions. While some courses of action are clearly wrong, there may be several morally acceptable and defensible ways to proceed. Consequently, readers might disagree with my proposed solutions for good reasons. For example, if I use a consequentialist approach, my assessment of the relative positive and negative weights of the consequences might be challenged, or I simply might have forgotten to consider some factor. Where I have made a definite recommendation, I give the reasons for my choice and contrast it with other alternatives.

scholarly journals Using Zebrafish to Implement a Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience to Study Teratogenesis in Two Biology Laboratory Courses

Zebrafish ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 293-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Swapnalee Sarmah ◽  
Grady W. Chism ◽  
Martin A. Vaughan ◽  
Pooja Muralidharan ◽  
Jim A. Marrs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Laboratory Courses ◽  
Biology Laboratory

scholarly journals A Central Support System Can Facilitate Implementation and Sustainability of a Classroom-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) in Genomics

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 711-723 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Lopatto ◽  
Charles Hauser ◽  
Christopher J. Jones ◽  
Don Paetkau ◽  
Vidya Chandrasekaran ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Support System ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
It Services ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Central System ◽  
Laboratory Courses ◽  
Collegial Support ◽  
Central Support ◽  
Genomics Education

In their 2012 report, the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology advocated “replacing standard science laboratory courses with discovery-based research courses”—a challenging proposition that presents practical and pedagogical difficulties. In this paper, we describe our collective experiences working with the Genomics Education Partnership, a nationwide faculty consortium that aims to provide undergraduates with a research experience in genomics through a scheduled course (a classroom-based undergraduate research experience, or CURE). We examine the common barriers encountered in implementing a CURE, program elements of most value to faculty, ways in which a shared core support system can help, and the incentives for and rewards of establishing a CURE on our diverse campuses. While some of the barriers and rewards are specific to a research project utilizing a genomics approach, other lessons learned should be broadly applicable. We find that a central system that supports a shared investigation can mitigate some shortfalls in campus infrastructure (such as time for new curriculum development, availability of IT services) and provides collegial support for change. Our findings should be useful for designing similar supportive programs to facilitate change in the way we teach science for undergraduates.

scholarly journals International Research Experiences in the Development of Minority Scientists

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raeshan D. Davis ◽  
Zakiya S. Wilson-Kennedy ◽  
David Spivak
Keyword(s):  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
International Research ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Science Identity ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
Research Opportunity ◽  
The Impact

Undergraduate research and international experiences are often described as high-impact educational practices beneficial for undergraduate student success and for supporting the development of science identity and intercultural competencies. While several studies have investigated the impact of undergraduate research on students from minoritized groups, fewer studies have focused on their engagement in global experiences, and fewer still have explored their engagement in international research experiences. Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of Science Identity, Social Cognitive Career Theory, and the Intercultural Competence Model, this present study explores the benefits of participating in an international research experience for minority undergraduate scientists. Using a qualitative case study methodology, we examined the evolution of students’ science identity, research competencies, and intercultural competence after engaging in a three-month international research opportunity in France and Belgium. We found that after participating in international research, minority undergraduate scientists had: 1) Increased confidence in their science identity and abilities; 2) Gained and strengthened skills necessary to be a successful researcher, 3) Recognized the influence of international exposure on their growth personally and professionally, 4) Expressed how monumental this research opportunity is for all minority students to experience. Our findings suggest substantial benefits from an international research experience on the development of minority undergraduate scientists.

scholarly journals Science Identity among Latinx Students in the Biomedical Sciences: The Role of a Critical Race Theory–Informed Undergraduate Research Experience

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. ar23
Author(s):  
Tissyana C. Camacho ◽  
Yolanda Vasquez-Salgado ◽  
Gabriela Chavira ◽  
David Boyns ◽  
Scott Appelrouth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Critical Race Theory ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Science Identity ◽  
Critical Race ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Biomedical Sciences ◽  
Race Theory ◽  
Science Career ◽  
Undergraduate Research Program

This study investigates science identity and intention to pursue a science career among three groups of graduating Latinx biomedical majors. Students who participated in an undergraduate research program guided by critical race theory reported the highest levels of science identity and intention to pursue a science career at the end of college.

DESIGNING COURSE-BASED UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH EXPERIENCE (CURES) TO ADDRESS SCIENCE LITERACY

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lydia K. Fox ◽  
◽  
Sarah K. Fortner ◽  
Erin Kraal ◽  
Carolyn Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Science Literacy ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Research Experience

scholarly journals Fermentation revival in the classroom: investigating ancient human practices as CUREs for modern diseases

2020 ◽  
Vol 367 (21) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer K Lyles ◽  
Monika Oli
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Bioinformatic Analysis ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Group Presentation ◽  
Student Knowledge ◽  
Laboratory Equipment ◽  
Lecture Material ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Human Practices ◽  
Survey Responses

ABSTRACT A course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) was designed to integrate key microbiological principles and techniques into an authentic research experience in a classroom setting and was implemented in an undergraduate microbiology laboratory course. Students conducted a 6-week study in order to determine the identity and quantity of unique probiotic species from various types of kefir. This course module followed an inquiry-based pedagogical approach in which students use the scientific process to investigate an unknown question with no predetermined outcome. During each lab, relevant microbiological topics and laboratory concepts were presented. Students then performed various laboratory techniques, reinforcing the lecture material with hands-on experience. In addition, students participated in reflection through group presentation of their results, bioinformatic analysis and literature review. Based on data collected from pre- and post-study survey responses, both student knowledge and attitudes towards the topics covered improved due to participation in this CURE. Importantly, this CURE can be implemented at many levels of education, requiring only minimal resources and common laboratory equipment.

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