High-Impact Practices in Materials Science Education: Student Research Internships Leading to Pedagogical Innovation in STEM Laboratory Learning Activities

MRS Advances ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (31-32) ◽  
pp. 1667-1672 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lon A. Porter
Keyword(s):  
Computer Aided Design ◽  
Materials Science ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Science Research ◽  
High Impact ◽  
Digital Design ◽  
Education Student ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Student Research ◽  
Pedagogical Innovation

ABSTRACTTraditional lecture-centered approaches alone are inadequate for preparing students for the challenges of creative problem solving in the STEM disciplines. As an alternative, learnercentered and other high-impact pedagogies are gaining prominence. The Wabash College 3D Printing and Fabrication Center (3D-PFC) supports several initiatives on campus, but one of the most successful is a computer-aided design (CAD) and fabrication-based undergraduate research internship program. The first cohort of four students participated in an eight-week program during the summer of 2015. A second group of the four students was successfully recruited to participate the following summer. This intensive materials science research experience challenged students to employ digital design and fabrication in the design, testing, and construction of inexpensive scientific instrumentation for use in introductory STEM courses at Wabash College. The student research interns ultimately produced a variety of successful new designs that could be produced for less than $25 per device and successfully detect analytes of interest down to concentrations in the parts per million (ppm) range. These student-produced instruments have enabled innovations in the way introductory instrumental analysis is taught on campus. Beyond summer work, the 3D-PFC staffed student interns during the academic year, where they collaborated on various cross-disciplinary projects with students and faculty from departments such as mathematics, physics, biology, rhetoric, history, classics, and English. Thus far, the student work has led to three campus presentations, four presentations at national professional conferences, and three peer-reviewed publications. The following report highlights initial progress as well as preliminary assessment findings.

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 Effect of Time on Perceived Gains from an Undergraduate Research Program

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 139-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omolola A. Adedokun ◽  
Loran C. Parker ◽  
Amy Childress ◽  
Wilella Burgess ◽  
Robin Adams ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Analysis Of Variance ◽  
Research Program ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Student Research ◽  
Research Skills ◽  
Undergraduate Research Program ◽  
Repeated Measures Analysis

The current study examines the trajectories of student perceived gains as a result of time spent in an undergraduate research experience (URE). Data for the study come from a survey administered at three points over a 1-yr period: before participation in the program, at the end of a Summer segment of research, and at the end of the year. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to examine the effect of time on perceived gains in student research skills, research confidence, and understanding of research processes. The results suggest that the students experienced different gains/benefits at developmentally different stages of their UREs. Participants reported gains in fewer areas at the end of the Summer segment compared with the end of the yearlong experience, thus supporting the notion that longer UREs offer students more benefit.

Multidisciplinary Undergraduate Research Team via Independent Study Courses

2015 ◽  
Vol 1762 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyle G. Gipson
Keyword(s):  
Creative Thinking ◽  
Materials Science ◽  
Technical Writing ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Oral Communication ◽  
Independent Study ◽  
Multidisciplinary Teams ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Research Opportunity ◽  
Academic Year

ABSTRACTUndergraduate students from Engineering, Physics, Geology & Chemistry come together to form multidisciplinary teams as part of an undergraduate research opportunity through a sequence of independent study classes within the Department of Engineering at James Madison University. The undergraduate research groups typically contain students from freshman to senior years, totaling approximately three to eight students per academic year per group. One of the primary objectives is to provide a high-level research experience for undergraduates in a nurturing environment within the academic year. Peer-mentoring is integral piece to the team dynamics. The course sequence that facilitates the research opportunity is constructed in order for students to produce research that can be applied to obtaining a minor in Materials Science. Methodologies employed in the course range from problem-based learning, inquiry-based learning, and collaborative efforts with outside entities. The course objectives are geared towards developing critical & creative thinking, technical writing and oral communication skills through the development of planned action & experiments with data analysis as well as submitting findings to be presented at regional and national conferences.

Incorporating Diverse Majors and Backgrounds in Materials Science Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Sites

2004 ◽  
Vol 827 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.F. Bahr ◽  
M.G. Norton
Keyword(s):  
Graduate School ◽  
Materials Science ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Washington State ◽  
State University ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Washington State University ◽  
The Past ◽  
Academic Standing ◽  
Demographic Background

AbstractA summer Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) site program has been operating at Washington State University for the past five summers. Over this time we have experimented with several modes of organized summer research methods, including students working in individual projects as well as students working in teams. We have balanced the academic standing of the students (freshmen to seniors), as well providing a diverse demographic background. The results of these past five summers will be presented, as well as recommendations for which methods have been the most successful in terms of generating publications and presentations from the students as well as the likelihood of students entering graduate school.

scholarly journals 19. Evidence in Support of Removing Boundaries to Undergraduate Research Experiences

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neil Haave ◽  
Doris Audet
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
High Impact ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Educational Practices ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Grade Point ◽  
Final Grade ◽  
Correlational Data ◽  
The Impact

Undergraduate research is one of several high impact educational practices used by educational institutions to increase student engagement and success (Kuh, 2008). Many studies on the impact of undergraduate research have surveyed students or faculty on their personal experience and its influence on students’ subsequent degrees and employment (Brownell & Swaner, 2010). These studies have documented the ability of high impact educational practices to have the greatest influence on those students who self-identify as belonging to a minority or disadvantaged group. Few studies, however, have documented the impact on students with lower grades.  The privilege of being admitted to an undergraduate research experience (e.g., an independent studies course) is typically reserved for upper-year students who have proven themselves academically. This paper presents correlational data from our campus showing that academically weaker students have a greater increase in academic performance between prior grade point average (GPA) and final grade in an independent studies course than academically stronger students. In addition, student annual GPA data shows that the impact of undergraduate research serves to raise student GPA in the year of an independent studies course. Although the findings are based on data from one small campus, they do raise the question that if undergraduate research has the greatest impact on academically weaker students and accelerates academic maturity, is limiting registration into these courses on the basis of superior GPA and years of study placing inappropriate boundaries on student learning?

In To Africa: Teaching Nanoscience to Undergraduates in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

2011 ◽  
Vol 1320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian H. Augustine ◽  
Orde Q. Munro
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Materials Science ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
The United States ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Laboratory Course ◽  
Kwazulu Natal

ABSTRACTThere has been considerable interest in developing curricular programs and materials for teaching undergraduate courses in nanoscience in the United States and other developed countries in the past decade. Materials science and nanoscience research programs are growing in developing countries in South America, Africa and Asia. However, there still exists a significant disconnect between the research efforts in developing countries and undergraduate coursework. This report will focus on the teaching of an upper-division one semester lecture/laboratory course developed at James Madison University (JMU) called “The Science of the Small: An Introduction to the Nanoworld” taught in the School of Chemistry at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Pietermaritzburg (UKZN-PMB), South Africa in 2009 through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar program. We report insights into the preparation needed to teach a cutting-edge laboratory course in South Africa. Also addressed will be some of the challenges of teaching an instrument-intensive laboratory course in a developing country, academic preparation of the typical native isiZulu-speaking UKZN undergraduate student compared to a typical U.S. student, and pre and post attitudes and content assessment of students who were enrolled in the course. Further discussed will be observations of post-apartheid science and math education in South Africa, and the beginning of a pilot program bringing South African undergraduate students to the U.S. to gain undergraduate research experience.

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