Course-based Research Project Research Articles

Research Globally, Learn Globally: An Innovative Course-Based Research Project Through Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) Among Nutrition Students From American and Mexican Universities

The current article describes a 12-week course-based research project through Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) among nutrition students from American and Mexican universities. Students were divided into small research teams, developed questionnaires, and conducted online surveys with college students in their home institutions. After a data collection period, each research team analyzed data and compared results between American and Mexican participants. Based on their study results, each research team developed a proposed 6-month nutrition intervention project for college students. Post-COIL project survey results demonstrate that students rated high in the areas of overall COIL experience, the duration and time of interaction in the COIL project, technologies, interaction with peers and professors, global and cultural competency, and overall satisfaction of the project. This research also highlights the importance of a course-based research project in student critical thinking skills and science literacy. Future research is needed to effectively evaluate the synergistic effects of COIL and a course-based research project on student learning across the globe.

Photovoice: Integrating Course-Based Research in Undergraduate and Graduate Social Work Education.

Research skills are vital to students' professional careers and must be cultivated in the social work curriculum. While students and faculty may hesitate to participate in a course-based research project, the authors believe that the Photovoice method is easily adapted to a variety of class and student needs. Photovoice is a field-oriented and qualitative research method that visually documents and communicates community assets and needs. The first purpose of this article is to offer Photovoice as a potential model for instructors to implement a course-based research project. The second purpose is to quantitatively assess changes in students' reported confidence in social work topics and research activities. Data revealed that the students reported increased confidence in the majority of the content and research evaluated; content examples include economic justice and determinants of social inequalities; research examples include analysing data for patterns and identifying the limitations of research methods. The data illustrate the pedagogical power of Photovoice.

Semester-Long Course-Based Research Project in Second-Semester Organic Chemistry: Synthesizing Potential Lead Compounds for the Treatment of a Neglected Tropical Disease

A semester-long research project for second-semester organic chemistry lab sections was developed. Student projects were based on preliminary data from faculty research that suggested the natural p...

A Qualitative Course-Based Inquiry into the Concept of Love as a Central Component of Child and Youth Care Practice

Child and Youth Care (CYC) students have the right to be engaged in pedagogical practices that inspire and arouse their curiosity about their field of practice. Undergraduate course-based research in which students have an opportunity to conduct authentic research within a for-credit course is one such high-impact pedagogical practice with a growing body of evidence-based outcomes. This article presents an undergraduate course-based research project that examined child and youth care student‘s beliefs about displaying love as a component of their practice. Located in the constructivist/interpretive research paradigm, this course-based research project collected data through the use of an expressive arts-based data method followed by a semi-structured questionnaire. Four overarching themes were identified during the thematic analysis: (a) authentic caring involves expressions of love, (b) expressions of love are an essential component of growth and development, (c) loving care as an ethic of relational practice, and (d) but…professionalism stands in the way. The results of this course-based study suggest that expressing love as a component of relational-centred CYC practice is not fully understood by CYC students and that much more research is needed to explore this issue.

Perspectives on Mental Wellness in Child and Youth Care Education

This course-based research project is conducted in a qualitative interpretive paradigm. The purpose of the inquiry is to gain insight into how students interpret their own subjective experiences and understanding of the impact that the undergraduate child and youth care program at MacEwan University has had on their mental wellness. A purposive sample of four child and youth care students was selected. Data was collected through the use of a semi-structured focus group and a reflective arts-based activity. The data was analysed using Braun and Clarke’s approach to thematic analysis which resulted in the identification of six themes. These include: a) safe and supportive learning environment, b) enhanced understanding, c) genuine student-professor relationship, d) seeing mental health as a strength, e) the healing power of creativity and play, and f) transformational nature of child and youth care education.

Social Media and 21st-Century Child and Youth Care Practice

The exponential growth of online information and communication technologies such as texting and social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat have opened up new possibilities for child and youth care (CYC) practitioners to engage with children, youth, and families. Yet very little is known about the therapeutic use of these technologies as a direct CYC practice method. Hence, this qualitative, course-based research project aimed to explore the use of social media as a therapeutic practice by CYC students at MacEwan University. The Instagram social networking site was used to collect data. A thematic analysis identified four overarching themes: (a) a relationship, engagement, and communication building tool, (b) a source of support and information, (c) a creative space for self-expression, and (d) a safe place. The results of this course-based study indicate that CYC students use social media responsibly in their work with children, youth, and families. The use of social media appears to have a positive impact and beneficial use in CYC as long as it is utilized and maintained in a professional manner. More research into social media is, however, required to help CYC practitioners keep pace with information and communication technologies and become well-informed about their use and misuse.

A Qualitative Course-Based Inquiry into the Concept of Love as a Central Component of Child and Youth Care Practice

Child and Youth Care (CYC) students have the right to be engaged in pedagogical practices that inspire and arouse their curiosity about their field of practice. Undergraduate course-based research in which students have an opportunity to conduct authentic research within a for-credit course is one such high-impact pedagogical practice with a growing body of evidence-based outcomes. This article presents an undergraduate course-based research project that examined child and youth care student’s beliefs about displaying love as a component of their practice. Located in the constructivist/interpretive research paradigm, this course-based research project collected data through the use of an expressive arts-based data method followed by a semi-structured questionnaire. Four overarching themes were identified during the thematic analysis: (a) authentic caring involves expressions of love, (b) expressions of love are an essential component of growth and development, (c) loving care as an ethic of relational practice, and (d) but…professionalism stands in the way. The results of this course-based study suggest that expressing love as a component of relational-centred CYC practice is not fully understood by CYC students and that much more research is needed to explore this issue.

The PARE Project: A Short Course-Based Research Project for National Surveillance of Antibiotic-Resistant Microbes in Environmental Samples.

Course-based research experiences (CREs) have been proposed as an inclusive model to expose all students, including those at institutions without a strong research infrastructure, to research at an early stage. Converting an entire semester-long course can be time consuming for instructors and expensive for institutions, so we have developed a short CRE that can be implemented in a variety of life science course types. The Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance in the Environment (PARE) project uses common microbiology methods and equipment to engage students in nationwide surveillance of environmental soil samples to document the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The project has been implemented at institutions ranging from community colleges to doctoral-granting institutions in 30 states plus Puerto Rico. Programmatic feedback was obtained from instructors over three iterations, and revisions were made based on this feedback. Student learning was measured by pre/post assessment in a subset of institutions. Outcomes indicate that students made significant gains in the project learning goals. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education

Engaging Undergraduates in Research: Designing and Developing a One-Semester, Course-Based Research Project

How do you prepare students in a world of changing information and professional practices? The scientific approach encompasses problem solving, critical thinking, and the ability to interpret and apply scholarly information. Conducting original research at the undergraduate level is a meaningful experience, because the overall process, developing questions and systematically finding the answers, presents a mechanism for students to develop and practice the necessary skills. The Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) curriculum standards for didactic programs emphasize the importance of these skills, because students must understand research methods, interpret research findings, and translate external findings into evidence-based practice. 1 Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics. 2012 Standards for Didactic Programs in Nutrition & Dietetics. Adopted February 24, 2012. Updated March 31, 2015. http://www.eatrightacend.org/WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=id&ItemID=6442485378&libID=6442485356. Accessed September 13, 2015. Google Scholar The value of these skills is also documented across other related disciplines, including biology, psychology, and public health, 2 American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Curriculum. https://www.asbmb.org/accreditation/curriculum/. Accessed August 25, 2015. Google Scholar , 3 American Psychological Association. APA principles for quality undergraduate education in psychology. 2011. http://www.apa.org/education/undergrad/principles-undergrad.pdf. Accessed August 25, 2015. Google Scholar , 4 Council on Education for Public Health. Accreditation criteria for standalone baccalaureate programs. 2014. http://ceph.org/assets/SBP-Criteria.pdf. Accessed August 25, 2015. Google Scholar and has been widely endorsed by the Association of American Colleges and Universities as a high-impact learning practice. 5 Association of American Colleges and Universities. High-impact educational practices. https://www.aacu.org/leap/hips. Accessed June 28, 2016. Google Scholar Introducing original research activities early also prepares students for the expectations of leading research at the Master’s level. 6 AbuSabha R. Developing research knowledge and competence in Master’s students: individualizing group research projects. J Acad Nutr Diet. 116(3):389-391. Google Scholar However, faculty struggle to provide enough individual research opportunities because of increasing workloads. Broader, course-based options are becoming a popular alternative to reach more students. Faculty offer course-based research activities equally across disciplines, ranging from social sciences (49%) to science, technology, engineering, and math (commonly referred to as “STEM” [36%]). 7 Douglass JA, Zhao C. Undergraduate research engagement at major US research universities. Center for Studies in Higher Education. 2013. http://www.cshe.berkeley.edu/publications/undergraduate-research-engagement-major-us-research-universities. Accessed August 25, 2015. Google Scholar The purpose of this article is to present a semester-long undergraduate research project in a junior-level Lifecycle Nutrition course as a model to highlight the learning opportunities gained by conducting original research at the undergraduate level. Additional evidence from the literature informs implementation considerations and recommendations.

Preliminary investigation of soil bacterial communities from sites experiencing diverse human activity.

Students in the Microbial Ecology class at Shepherd University investigated the bacterial communities present in soil samples collected from four sites across Shepherd University that experience different vegetation and distinct human activities: a wooded site, a perennial garden, an organic garden at the Campus Sustainability Site, and a grass lawn that experiences heavy student traffic. To identify bacterial species present in the soil samples, DNA was extracted from the soil and sent to Molecular Research Labs for 16S rRNA microbiome sequencing. The resulting sequences were then organized into operational taxonomic units for each site and biodiversity estimated for each site. Principal coordinate analysis revealed that the bacterial community in soil from the heavily trafficked lawn site was distinct from the bacterial communities found in soils collected from the other three sites. This initial research provides a basis for a longitudinal study investigating the effect of human activity on microbial communities in soil at Shepherd University. This course-based research project was supported by a West Virginia Space Grant Consortium College Course Development Grant, Authentic Research Experience in Microbiology (NSF-TUES #1323225), and the Shepherd University Biology Department.

Out of Your Seat and on Your Feet! An adaptable course-based research project in plant ecology for advanced students

Out of Your Seat and on Your Feet! An adaptable course-based research project in plant ecology for advanced students