Seeding undergraduate research experience: From Georgia Tech to KFUPM case study

2018 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
pp. 313-323
Author(s):  
Samir Al-Ghadhban ◽  
Ali Muqaibel ◽  
Ghassan Alregib ◽  
Ali Al-Shaikhi
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Group Structure ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Georgia Tech ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Course Structure ◽  
Experience Survey

In this paper, implementation and outcomes of an undergraduate research course are presented. The associated gains and learning outcomes of the course are evaluated and benchmarked with other international undergraduate research experiences. The course was offered to undergraduate students at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM). The research group structure adopts Georgia Tech model. The paper summarizes the course structure, content, and best practices. In addition, the results of undergraduate research experience survey are presented and analyzed. The students reported significant gains in understanding of the research process and significant improvements in writing and oral presentation skills.

scholarly journals Early year undergraduate researchers’ reflections on the values and perceived costs of their research experience

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaye D. Ceyhan ◽  
John W. Tillotson
Keyword(s):  
Achievement Motivation ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Intrinsic Value ◽  
Value Theory ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Expectancy Value ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Future Work

Abstract Background Prior research reported that motivational beliefs that individuals attach to specific tasks predict continuing interest and persistence in the task. A motivational approach may be particularly useful for understanding undergraduate students’ engagement with research in their first and second years in college. The current study utilizes the expectancy-value theory of achievement motivation to qualitatively explore how much and in what ways early year undergraduate researchers value their research experience and what kinds of costs they associate with it. Results The results revealed that intrinsic value had the highest expression in participants’ motivation to engage in research. The second most expressed value type was the utility value of undergraduate research with regards to obtaining the desired outcomes, and attainment value played the least important role in participants’ motivation to engage in research. Findings also indicated that some of the participants associated a cost(s) to their research experience. The highest mentioned perceived cost was opportunity cost, where participants commented on losing other valued alternatives when engaging in research. Participants commented on the time, effort, or amount of work needed to engage in research, and a few participants commented on the emotional cost associated with their research experience in terms of the fear of failure. Conclusion As perceived cost is the least studied in the expectancy-value framework, this study contributes to cost values within college students, particularly about early year undergraduate researchers. The findings of this study can form the basis for future work on exploring ways to increase the values and decrease the costs students experience in their undergraduate research experiences.

scholarly journals Recommendations for Effective Integration of Ethics and Responsible Conduct of Research (E/RCR) Education into Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences: A Meeting Report

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. mr2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura A. Diaz-Martinez ◽  
Ginger R. Fisher ◽  
David Esparza ◽  
Jay M. Bhatt ◽  
Christina E. D’Arcy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Responsible Conduct Of Research ◽  
Meeting Report ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Scientific Enterprise ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Undergraduate Research Experiences ◽  
Responsible Conduct ◽  
Effective Integration

Advancement of the scientific enterprise relies on individuals conducting research in an ethical and responsible manner. Educating emergent scholars in the principles of ethics/responsible conduct of research (E/RCR) is therefore critical to ensuring such advancement. The recent impetus to include authentic research opportunities as part of the undergraduate curriculum, via course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs), has been shown to increase cognitive and noncognitive student outcomes. Because of these important benefits, CUREs are becoming more common and often constitute the first research experience for many students. However, despite the importance of E/RCR in the research process, we know of few efforts to incorporate E/RCR education into CUREs. The Ethics Network for Course-based Opportunities in Undergraduate Research (ENCOUR) was created to address this concern and promote the integration of E/RCR within CUREs in the biological sciences and related disciplines. During the inaugural ENCOUR meeting, a four-pronged approach was used to develop guidelines for the effective integration of E/RCR in CUREs. This approach included: 1) defining appropriate student learning objectives; 2) identifying relevant curriculum; 3) identifying relevant assessments; and 4) defining key aspects of professional development for CURE facilitators. Meeting outcomes, including the aforementioned E/RCR guidelines, are described herein.

scholarly journals MUREs - a new member of the URE-CURE family of research opportunities for undergrads

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Holly E. Bates ◽  
Shanna Lowes ◽  
Sarah L. West
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Research Opportunities ◽  
Biology Students ◽  
Undergraduate Research Experiences ◽  
Stem Students ◽  
Experiential Research

Undergraduate research experiences are important for the development of scientific identity, appreciation of authentic research, and to improve persistence towards science careers. We identified a gap in experiential research opportunities for undergraduate Biology students who were seeking a formal yet small-scale research experience that was unique to their own interests and career aspirations. These opportunities may be especially worthwhile for STEM students aspiring to non-research scientific careers (i.e., medicine, dentistry, forensics, communication) and underrepresented STEM students. Here, we reflect on the use of small-scale, individualized undergraduate research experiences that are based on established methods (MURE). These experiences have helped to fill this gap and create problem-centred learning opportunities for undergraduate students that are as unique as the students themselves.

scholarly journals Simulations, Imaging, and Modeling: A Unique Theme for an Undergraduate Research Program in Biomechanics

2017 ◽  
Vol 139 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie M. George ◽  
Zachary J. Domire
Keyword(s):  
Computational Models ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Positive Research ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
School Based ◽  
Undergraduate Research Program ◽  
Qualitative Responses

As the reliance on computational models to inform experiments and evaluate medical devices grows, the demand for students with modeling experience will grow. In this paper, we report on the 3-yr experience of a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) based on the theme simulations, imaging, and modeling in biomechanics. While directly applicable to REU sites, our findings also apply to those creating other types of summer undergraduate research programs. The objective of the paper is to examine if a theme of simulations, imaging, and modeling will improve students' understanding of the important topic of modeling, provide an overall positive research experience, and provide an interdisciplinary experience. The structure of the program and the evaluation plan are described. We report on the results from 25 students over three summers from 2014 to 2016. Overall, students reported significant gains in the knowledge of modeling, research process, and graduate school based on self-reported mastery levels and open-ended qualitative responses. This theme provides students with a skill set that is adaptable to other applications illustrating the interdisciplinary nature of modeling in biomechanics. Another advantage is that students may also be able to continue working on their project following the summer experience through network connections. In conclusion, we have described the successful implementation of the theme simulation, imaging, and modeling for an REU site and the overall positive response of the student participants.

scholarly journals The Experience of Completing an Undergraduate Nursing Honors Research Project on the First Professional Nursing Position

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katlyn R. Antior ◽  
Antoinette K. Pugh
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Practice ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Nursing Research ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Undergraduate Nursing ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Undergraduate Research Project

Undergraduate research experiences have become a hallmark of excellence in degree programs in the science, technology, engineering and math fields, with indications that these experiences lay important groundwork for graduate education and practice in the field. In nursing, several schools offer undergraduate nursing research experiences, though there is scant research related to outcomes among nurses at the baccalaureate level. Since evidence-based practice (EBP) is becoming increasingly important in health care, the use of research-related skill sets has become more critical for practicing nurses. The benefits of undergraduate research experience have been inadequately studied and there have been no nursing studies on the impact of undergraduate nursing research experience on the practicing registered nurse. At a research intensive public university, a robust honors program exposes students to research throughout the baccalaureate degree, with student engagement in every step of the research process alongside faculty research mentors. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore the experiences and outcomes of participation in a significant undergraduate research project on the first few years of nursing practice as an RN. Data analysis was conducted using an open coding method to analyze the responses of the participants and aid in the process of identifying major themes that express the phenomenon. Through this approach a descriptive analysis of the experience of completing an undergraduate research project was completed, including the impact on the nursing practice and development of the participants in their early careers. The results suggest that extensive exposure to research in undergraduate schooling increases the level of self-confidence in the first nursing position. Participants also felt that they stood out from their peers. Other benefits include expanding knowledge regarding the research process, improving writing and public speaking skills, and advancing personal and professional development.

Using Multidisciplinary Research Experiences to Enhance STEM Learning through Undergraduate, Team-Based, Summer Research Projects for At-Risk Students

2014 ◽  
pp. 198-220
Author(s):  
Jennifer Yantz ◽  
Brittany D. Smith ◽  
Ginger Holmes Rowell ◽  
Thomas Cheatham ◽  
Donald Nelson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Stem Learning ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Stem Majors ◽  
Faculty Mentor ◽  
And Mathematics

Undergraduate research can be one of the most important and influential learning experiences during a student's college career (Light, 2001). Significant retention value is achieved both through one-on-one contact with a faculty mentor (Campbell, 1997; Jacobi, 1991) and by interaction with peers in a learning community (Johnson, 2001). Colleges and universities are using undergraduate research experiences to help improve student retention, graduation, and success in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). However, undergraduate research is frequently reserved for the best and brightest students who have achieved junior or senior class status. This case study describes a team-based research experience designed for first-year, at-risk undergraduate students. For this project, the term “at-risk” is defined to be first-time, full-time freshman declared STEM majors with a weak mathematics background as measured by having an ACT-Mathematics sub score of 19 to 23, inclusive. In particular, this case study focuses on the multidisciplinary nature of some of the research projects and the benefits for the students in terms of confidence, depth of learning in STEM, and progress in understanding the scientific process.

scholarly journals A Comprehensive Faculty, Staff, and Student Training Program Enhances Student Perceptions of a Course-Based Research Experience at a Two-Year Institution

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 724-737 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas D. Wolkow ◽  
Lisa T. Durrenberger ◽  
Michael A. Maynard ◽  
Kylie K. Harrall ◽  
Lisa M. Hines
Keyword(s):  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Staff Training ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Randomized Study ◽  
Geographic Region ◽  
Support Staff ◽  
Early Research ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Research Experiences

Early research experiences must be made available to all undergraduate students, including those at 2-yr institutions who account for nearly half of America's college students. We report on barriers unique to 2-yr institutions that preclude the success of an early course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE). Using a randomized study design, we evaluated a CURE in equivalent introductory biology courses at a 4-yr institution and a 2-yr institution within the same geographic region. We found that these student populations developed dramatically different impressions of the experience. Students at the 4-yr institution enjoyed the CURE significantly more than the traditional labs. However, students at the 2-yr institution enjoyed the traditional labs significantly more, even though the CURE successfully produced targeted learning gains. On the basis of course evaluations, we enhanced instructor, student, and support staff training and reevaluated this CURE at a different campus of the same 2-yr institution. This time, the students reported that they enjoyed the research experience significantly more than the traditional labs. We conclude that early research experiences can succeed at 2-yr institutions, provided that a comprehensive implementation strategy targeting instructor, student, and support staff training is in place.

scholarly journals Introducing electrical engineering through characterization of a handheld moisture meter: A research experience case study

2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Todd J Freeborn ◽  
Jada Damond
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Students ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Electrical Engineering ◽  
Test Equipment ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Moisture Meter ◽  
The University

Concepts from electrical engineering can be introduced to nonmajor engineering students through lectures, laboratories, or even research experiences. Often the purpose of introducing nonmajors to these concepts is to highlight that engineering problems are not limited to skills from only a single discipline as well as improve their ability to communicate and collaborate with other disciplines. This case study discusses the experience of introducing a nonmajor undergraduate student to electrical engineering through an undergraduate research project at The University of Alabama investigating the electrical properties of bamboo, which required the characterization of a portable moisture meter. These exercises were successful at improving the student’s confidence and proficiency with electrical test equipment, highlighting the limitations of test equipment, and applying concepts of resistance to a real-world application that overlaps electrical, chemical, and biological disciplines. While this exercise was a component of an undergraduate research experience, similar exercises could be easily integrated into electrical engineering laboratories for nonelectrical engineering majors to introduce and reinforce concepts from electrical engineering using a multidisciplinary application.

Beyond the Classroom: Educating Undergraduates in Materials Science Research and Careers via the CPIMA SURE Program

2001 ◽  
Vol 684 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marni Goldman ◽  
Charles G. Wade ◽  
Brenda E. Waller ◽  
Curtis W. Frank
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Materials Science ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Career Decisions ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Traditional Classroom ◽  
Polymer Interfaces ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Macromolecular Assemblies

ABSTRACTThe Center on Polymer Interfaces and Macromolecular Assemblies (CPIMA), an NSF MRSEC and joint partnership among Stanford University, IBM Almaden, and University of California at Davis, established the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) Program in 1995. Its mission is twofold: to expose undergraduate students to cutting-edge research and to help students with their ultimate career decisions. Approximately twenty-five students each summer are assigned a research project under the direction of a mentor. Students are exposed to a variety of research environments including universities, industry, and laboratories overseas. Regardless of site, students participate in research group meetings and learn the research process –a valuable experience that is often not obtained during a student's undergraduate years. To complete the research experience, SURE students attend a CPIMA Forum where they present posters on their research and interact with members of both academia and industry. While undergraduates are exposed to academia, they are often not exposed to industry or alternative careers. SURE students learn about industrial research by visiting IBM and getting a tour of the Almaden Research Center. A Career Day is held during the Program where students are given workshops on applying to graduate school as well as talks from people in different scientific careers, both traditional and nontraditional. Assessment surveys show that after their exposure to a number of experiences and ideas over 10 weeks, the SURE students have learned important lessons that a traditional classroom does not afford. To date, over 150 students have participated.

scholarly journals Assessment of Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences: A Meeting Report

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Corwin Auchincloss ◽  
Sandra L. Laursen ◽  
Janet L. Branchaw ◽  
Kevin Eagan ◽  
Mark Graham ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Biology Education ◽  
Operational Definition ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Meeting Report ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Undergraduate Research Experiences ◽  
Foundation Program ◽  
Definition Of

The Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences Network (CUREnet) was initiated in 2012 with funding from the National Science Foundation program for Research Coordination Networks in Undergraduate Biology Education. CUREnet aims to address topics, problems, and opportunities inherent to integrating research experiences into undergraduate courses. During CUREnet meetings and discussions, it became apparent that there is need for a clear definition of what constitutes a CURE and systematic exploration of what makes CUREs meaningful in terms of student learning. Thus, we assembled a small working group of people with expertise in CURE instruction and assessment to: 1) draft an operational definition of a CURE, with the aim of defining what makes a laboratory course or project a “research experience”; 2) summarize research on CUREs, as well as findings from studies of undergraduate research internships that would be useful for thinking about how students are influenced by participating in CUREs; and 3) identify areas of greatest need with respect to CURE assessment, and directions for future research on and evaluation of CUREs. This report summarizes the outcomes and recommendations of this meeting.

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