scholarly journals College Student Meaning Making and Interest Maintenance During COVID-19: From Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) to Science Learning Being Off-Campus and Online

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cong Wang ◽  
Melanie Bauer ◽  
Alita R. Burmeister ◽  
David I. Hanauer ◽  
Mark J. Graham
Keyword(s):  
Meaning Making ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Situational Interest ◽  
Laboratory Research ◽  
Student Interest ◽  
Spring Semester ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Undergraduate Research Experiences ◽  
Student Meaning ◽  
Based Instruction

In response to the outbreak of COVID-19 the national landscape of higher education changed quickly and dramatically to move “online” in the Spring semester of 2020. While distressing to both faculty and students, it presents a unique opportunity to explore how students responded to this unexpected and challenging learning situation. In four undergraduate STEM courses that incorporated course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs)—which are often focused on discovery learning and laboratory research—we had an existing study in progress to track students' interest development at five time points over the Spring 2020 semester. Via this ongoing study we were able to investigate how students stay engaged in their college science courses when facing unexpected challenges and obstacles to their learning. Longitudinal survey data from 41 students in these CURE courses demonstrated that students' situational interest dropped significantly when their CURE courses unexpectedly shifted from hands-on, discovery-based, and laboratory-based instruction to online instruction. Although we observed a dramatic decline in student interest in general after the CURE courses moved fully online, the decline rates varied across students. Students who were able to make meaningful connections between the learning activities and their personal or career goals were more likely to maintain a higher level of interest in the course. Implications for practice are discussed.

scholarly journals CUREs During and Beyond COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alita R. Burmeister ◽  
Katie Dickinson ◽  
Mark J. Graham
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Student Interest ◽  
Limited Capacity ◽  
Current Crisis ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Evidence Based Practices ◽  
Research And Teaching ◽  
Undergraduate Research Experiences ◽  
New Evidence

Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) provide active and authentic scientific involvement to tens of thousands of students each year. Through this process, CUREs offer the benefits of increased learning outcomes, improved equity, and increased retention in STEM. During the COVID-19 pandemic, however, research and teaching labs have limited capacity. Some universities are closed for in-person learning altogether, and others are likely to face emergency shut-downs throughout the year. In this setting, the inability to conduct experiments limits a core aspect of CUREs. Without experimentation as a basis for student engagement, interest, and broader relevance, true course-based research this year becomes a major challenge. We suggest that this limitation provides a moment to enhance CUREs with research-enriching learning activities that are obtainable while away from the bench. In this essay we outline a variety of these student-centered activities and review their benefits in terms of student interest, learning, and equity. While useful during emergency teaching transitions during COVID-19, we make the case that these new evidence-based practices for CUREs will also be helpful for the enrichment of research-based learning beyond the current crisis.

scholarly journals Course-Based Versus Field Undergraduate Research Experiences

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Graves
Keyword(s):  
Curriculum Design ◽  
Research University ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Undergraduate Research Experiences ◽  
Relevant Task ◽  
Economics Department ◽  
Based Instruction ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Canadian Research

This paper compares undergraduate course-based research experiences to field-based research experiences to understand the relationship between these different forms of experiential learning. I study undergraduate research experiences across an economics department at a large Canadian research university. Statistical analysis indicates there are not large differences between field- and course-based experiences. The main differences favour course-based instruction, with course-based experiences associated with more independent thinking and relevant task engagement. Overall, I conclude curriculum designers should focus attention on proper course-based curriculum design rather than simply trying to adapt “research-like” experiences into the classroom.

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.

Mentoring High-Impact Undergraduate Research Experiences

2022 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-21
Author(s):  
Jessie L. Moore ◽  
Angela Myers ◽  
Hayden McConnell
Keyword(s):  
Research Team ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
High Impact ◽  
English Studies ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Undergraduate Research Experiences ◽  
One To One

Abstract This article illustrates the Ten Salient Practices of Undergraduate Research Mentors with examples for English studies. The authors include both one-to-one and research-team examples, recognizing that although much English scholarship is solitary, peers and near peers play key roles in high-quality, mentored undergraduate research experiences.

The Trajectory of an Undergraduate Researcher

2022 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 143-147
Author(s):  
Andrea Bresee ◽  
Joyce Kinkead
Keyword(s):  
Research Methods ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Methods Course ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Undergraduate Research Experiences ◽  
English Majors ◽  
English Major

Abstract This article focuses on the progress of an undergraduate English major on the scholarship continuum outlined by Laurie Grobman (2009). The student engaged in authentic research in a research methods course for English majors, a class that also meets a university requirement of “quantitative intensive,” and she completed two research projects of note. Her journey has implications and significance for faculty in designing undergraduate research experiences.

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