scholarly journals Student Outcomes From a Large-Enrollment Introductory Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience on Soil Microbiomes

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stanley M. Lo ◽  
Bryan D. Le
Keyword(s):  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Student Outcomes ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Research Skills ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Design Elements ◽  
Mathematics Majors ◽  
Large Enrollment ◽  
And Mathematics

In recent years, national reports have called for undergraduate laboratory education that engages students in authentic research experiences. As a result, a number of course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) have been developed in biological sciences and some specifically in microbiology. Students benefit from CUREs much like in traditional mentored research experiences, where students carry out independent projects in faculty laboratories. These benefits include increased self-efficacy in research skills, enhanced identification as scientists, and higher graduation rates in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics majors. Because mentored research experiences are not readily available to every student, CUREs represent a potential mechanism to democratize the research experience by providing such opportunities to all students. However, many of existing CUREs described in the literature are designed for advanced undergraduates or are limited to a small number of students. Here, we report student outcomes from a large-enrollment introductory CURE on soil microbiomes that engages students in a real-world context with microbiology. In pre- and post-course surveys, students reported significant gains in self-efficacy on a number of research skills. These results are triangulated with post-course survey data on project ownership, sense of community, and CURE design elements such as collaboration, iteration, discovery, and relevance.

scholarly journals A Low-Intensity, Hybrid Design between a “Traditional” and a “Course-Based” Research Experience Yields Positive Outcomes for Science Undergraduate Freshmen and Shows Potential for Large-Scale Application

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. ar53
Author(s):  
Thushani Rodrigo-Peiris ◽  
Lin Xiang ◽  
Vincent M. Cassone
Keyword(s):  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Student Outcomes ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Stem Majors ◽  
Outcomes Evaluation ◽  
And Mathematics

Based on positive student outcomes, providing research experiences from early undergraduate years is recommended for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors. To this end, we designed a novel research experience called the “STEMCats Research Experience” (SRE) for a cohort of 119 second-semester freshmen with diverse college preparatory levels, demographics, and academic majors. The SRE targeted student outcomes of enhancing retention in STEM majors, STEM competency development, and STEM academic performance. It was designed as a hybrid of features from apprenticeship-based traditional undergraduate research experience and course-based undergraduate research experience designs, considering five factors: 1) an authentic research experience, 2) a supportive environment, 3) current and future needs for scale, 4) student characteristics and circumstances, and 5) availability and sustainability of institutional resources. Emerging concepts for facilitating and assessing student success and STEM curriculum effectiveness were integrated into the SRE design and outcomes evaluation. Here, we report the efficient and broadly applicable SRE design and, based on the analysis of institutional data and student perceptions, promising student outcomes from its first iteration. Potential improvements for the SRE design and future research directions are discussed.

Undergraduate Research in Kinesiology: Examples to Enhance Student Outcomes

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 305-313
Author(s):  
James A. Carson ◽  
John K. Petrella ◽  
Vanessa Yingling ◽  
Mallory R. Marshall ◽  
Jenny O ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Education ◽  
Student Outcomes ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Higher Learning ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
High Quality Research ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Education Experience ◽  
Institutions Of Higher Learning

Undergraduate research is emphasized as a critical component of today’s science-based undergraduate education and widely accepted as an important part of the overall undergraduate education experience. While educators agree on the value of undergraduate research, significant challenges exist related to the design of the undergraduate research experience and the faculty member’s role in it. Additional challenges include providing high-quality research experiences that benefit the education of a large number of students while maintaining feasibility and cost-effectiveness. The scope of this review is to provide an overview of research and service-learning experiences in kinesiology departments at 3 institutions of higher learning that vary in size and mission.

Outcomes from a research experience for undergraduates (REU) program focused on behavioral research with real-world implications

2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 1156-1156
Author(s):  
Patricia R. DeLucia ◽  
Jeong-Hee Kim ◽  
Ngan Nguyen ◽  
Eugene W. Wang ◽  
James Yang
Keyword(s):  
Training Program ◽  
Real World ◽  
Research Training ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Human Robot Interaction ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Research Skills ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
National Science Foundation Research

The current study examined a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site which provided research training to eight female undergraduates. Although it is well known that undergraduate research experiences benefit students and help them pursue careers in science (e.g., Eagan et al., 2011; Taraban & Logue, 2012; Willis et al., 2013), it is important for students to recognize the association between their research and real-world issues (ASHA, 2015; Rhoten & Pfirman, 2007). Human Factors/Ergonomics provides rich opportunities to enhance research experiences for undergraduates. In the current study, students conducted research focused on real-world implications with topics such as driving, human-robot interaction, and relationships. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed to assess the effectiveness of the training. Measures included students’ ratings on the Undergraduate Research Questionnaire and the Kardash Ratings of Interns’ Research Skills; diaries of training experiences, and semi-structured interviews. Students and their faculty mentors perceived improvements in the students’ research skills after the completion of the training program. In addition, the students described positive experiences from the training and thought they gained preparation for their careers. The strengths and weakness of the training program that were identified by the students will be useful to improve REUs that are conducted in the future. In conclusion, consistent with prior research, undergraduate research training (or experience) focused on real-world applications was effective.

scholarly journals A Course-Based Research Experience: How Benefits Change with Increased Investment in Instructional Time

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher D. Shaffer ◽  
Consuelo J. Alvarez ◽  
April E. Bednarski ◽  
David Dunbar ◽  
Anya L. Goodman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Instructional Time ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Widespread Agreement ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Biology Curriculum

There is widespread agreement that science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs should provide undergraduates with research experience. Practical issues and limited resources, however, make this a challenge. We have developed a bioinformatics project that provides a course-based research experience for students at a diverse group of schools and offers the opportunity to tailor this experience to local curriculum and institution-specific student needs. We assessed both attitude and knowledge gains, looking for insights into how students respond given this wide range of curricular and institutional variables. While different approaches all appear to result in learning gains, we find that a significant investment of course time is required to enable students to show gains commensurate to a summer research experience. An alumni survey revealed that time spent on a research project is also a significant factor in the value former students assign to the experience one or more years later. We conclude: 1) implementation of a bioinformatics project within the biology curriculum provides a mechanism for successfully engaging large numbers of students in undergraduate research; 2) benefits to students are achievable at a wide variety of academic institutions; and 3) successful implementation of course-based research experiences requires significant investment of instructional time for students to gain full benefit.

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 Development and Evaluation of the Tigriopus Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience: Impacts on Students’ Content Knowledge, Attitudes, and Motivation in a Majors Introductory Biology Course

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. ar72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey T. Olimpo ◽  
Ginger R. Fisher ◽  
Sue Ellen DeChenne-Peters
Keyword(s):  
Content Knowledge ◽  
Scientific Reasoning ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Student Autonomy ◽  
Problem Solving Strategies ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Introductory Biology Course ◽  
Viable Mechanism

Within the past decade, course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) have emerged as a viable mechanism to enhance novices’ development of scientific reasoning and process skills in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines. Recent evidence within the bioeducation literature suggests that student engagement in such experiences not only increases their appreciation for and interest in scientific research but also enhances their ability to “think like a scientist.” Despite these critical outcomes, few studies have objectively explored CURE versus non-CURE students’ development of content knowledge, attitudes, and motivation in the discipline, particularly among nonvolunteer samples. To address these concerns, we adopted a mixed-methods approach to evaluate the aforementioned outcomes following implementation of a novel CURE in an introductory cell/molecular biology course. Results indicate that CURE participants exhibited more expert-like outcomes on these constructs relative to their non-CURE counterparts, including in those areas related to self-efficacy, self-determination, and problem-solving strategies. Furthermore, analysis of end-of-term survey data suggests that select features of the CURE, such as increased student autonomy and collaboration, mediate student learning and enjoyment. Collectively, this research provides novel insights into the benefits achieved as a result of CURE participation and can be used to guide future development and evaluation of authentic research opportunities.

scholarly journals Scaling Up: Adapting a Phage-Hunting Course to Increase Participation of First-Year Students in Research

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. ar13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy L. Staub ◽  
Marianne Poxleitner ◽  
Amanda Braley ◽  
Helen Smith-Flores ◽  
Christine M. Pribbenow ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
First Year ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
First Semester ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Faculty Time ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
The One

Authentic research experiences are valuable components of effective undergraduate education. Research experiences during the first years of college are especially critical to increase persistence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. The Science Education Alliance Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) model provides a high-impact research experience to first-year students but is usually available to a limited number of students, and its implementation is costly in faculty time and laboratory space. To offer a research experience to all students taking introductory biology at Gonzaga University (n = 350/yr), we modified the traditional two-semester SEA-PHAGES course by streamlining the first-semester Phage Discovery lab and integrating the second SEA-PHAGES semester into other courses in the biology curriculum. Because most students in the introductory course are not biology majors, the Phage Discovery semester may be their only encounter with research. To discover whether students benefit from the first semester alone, we assessed the effects of the one-semester Phage Discovery course on students’ understanding of course content. Specifically, students showed improvement in knowledge of bacteriophages, lab math skills, and understanding experimental design and interpretation. They also reported learning gains and benefits comparable with other course-based research experiences. Responses to open-ended questions suggest that students experienced this course as a true undergraduate research experience.

scholarly journals Undergraduate Research Experience For STEM Students: Efforts And Outcomes

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 213-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chuanlei Zhang ◽  
Samar Swaid
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Bachelor's Degree ◽  
Smith College ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Graduate Study ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
Stem Students ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Computer Science Faculty

Undergraduate research for STEM students involves students who are attending college or universities pursuing a bachelor's degree, majoring in fields related to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics(STEM).  Research experience for STEM undergraduates has been viewed as a positive experience that has several benefits such as developing intellectual mentality, enhancing teamwork skills and improving preparation for graduate study.  In this paper, we provide an overview of HBCU-UP research experience with STEM students at Philander Smith College for the last few years. Projects in Bioinformatics and Human-Computer Interaction of two Computer Science faculty and their teams are shared.  Efforts in implementing research experiences and outcomes of these efforts are discussed. 

scholarly journals Do We Need to Design Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences for Authenticity?

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. ar79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Rowland ◽  
Rhianna Pedwell ◽  
Gwen Lawrie ◽  
Joseph Lovie-Toon ◽  
Yu Hung
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Authentic Science ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Undergraduate Research Experiences ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Definition Of

The recent push for more authentic teaching and learning in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics indicates a shared agreement that undergraduates require greater exposure to professional practices. There is considerable variation, however, in how “authentic” science education is defined. In this paper we present our definition of authenticity as it applies to an “authentic” large-scale undergraduate research experience (ALURE); we also look to the literature and the student voice for alternate perceptions around this concept. A metareview of science education literature confirmed the inconsistency in definitions and application of the notion of authentic science education. An exploration of how authenticity was explained in 604 reflections from ALURE and traditional laboratory students revealed contrasting and surprising notions and experiences of authenticity. We consider the student experience in terms of alignment with 1) the intent of our designed curriculum and 2) the literature definitions of authentic science education. These findings contribute to the conversation surrounding authenticity in science education. They suggest two things: 1) educational experiences can have significant authenticity for the participants, even when there is no purposeful design for authentic practice, and 2) the continuing discussion of and design for authenticity in UREs may be redundant.

scholarly journals Virtually the same? Evaluating the effectiveness of remote undergraduate research experiences

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Riley A Hess ◽  
Olivia A Erickson ◽  
Rebecca B Cole ◽  
Jared M Isaacs ◽  
Silvia Alvarez-Clare ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Life Science ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Undergraduate Research Experiences ◽  
Low Costs ◽  
Scientific Identity ◽  
Scientific Integration

In-person undergraduate research experiences (UREs) promote students' integration into careers in life science research. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted institutions hosting summer URE programs to offer them remotely, raising questions about whether undergraduates who participate in remote research can experience scientific integration. To address this, we investigated indicators of scientific integration for students who participated in remote life science URE programs in summer 2020. We found that these students experienced gains in their scientific self-efficacy and scientific identity similar to results reported for in-person UREs. We also found that these students perceived high benefits and low costs of doing research at the outset of their programs, and their perceptions did not change despite the remote circumstances. Yet, their perceptions differed by program, indicating that programs differentially affected students' perceptions of the costs of doing research. Finally, we observed that students with prior research experience made greater gains in self-efficacy and identity, as well as in their perceptions of the alignment of their values with those of the scientific community, in comparison to students with no prior research experience. This finding suggests that additional programming may be needed for undergraduates with no prior experience to benefit from remote research.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document