Undergraduate Research Experiences Research Articles

Initial Observations of a Community College Microsystem Fabrication-focused Undergraduate Research Experience

Initial Observations of a Community College Microsystem Fabrication-focused Undergraduate Research Experience

Perspectives on Collector Collaboration

AbstractIn 2019, we launched the Northern Arizona Paleoindian Project to expand on findings from the Rock Art Ranch (RAR) Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU; NSF#1262184). The REU recovered 24 Paleoindian artifacts in association with drainages. Expansion of the research required mitigation of the patchwork landownership in the area, which encouraged a collector-collaboration model following Pitblado (2014) and Douglass et alia (2017). We held public events in collaboration with a network of agencies, avocational groups, collectors, and landowners to assess potential for Paleoindian archaeology in the area. In March 2020, however, the COVID-19 pandemic halted our efforts, allowing us to evaluate our project and practice. We find that tapping into existing local networks of responsible resource stewards (RRS) can greatly accelerate project development. We also find that private collections are endangered, and preserving this portion of the archaeological record requires documentation and long-term curation. Most importantly, we find that archaeologists working with collectors are uniquely positioned to build bridges between Indigenous communities, RRS, and professional archaeologists to help stabilize legacy collections and that this focus should drive collector-collaboration research design. Ultimately, the project must move toward a community-based participatory research design to seek equitable and culturally appropriate curation plans for local legacy collections.

A Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) Pathway Model in Mathematics

Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) were originally developed by biologists to answer the call for undergraduate curriculum reform and expose more students to authentic research experiences [Wei and Woodin. 2011. Undergraduate research experiences in biology: Alternatives to the apprenticeship model. CBE Life Sciences Education. 10(2): 111–230]. Since their creation CUREs have been well developed in certain sciences, but Math CUREs are all but absent from the literature. Like biology, math programs suffer from a lack of research experiences and many students are not able to participate in events like REUs. In this paper, we propose a Math CURE model. We will discuss our experiences and data obtained from CUREs implemented in our courses and our plans for future projects and iterations of the Math CUREs.

Design of rubrics to assess computational essays in an interdisciplinary learning experience

High-impact practices in teaching require assessment tools that capture multi-dimensional student growth. A computational essay is a tool to assess achievement of content learning goals, development of disciplinary practice skills, and development of habits of mind such as agency, troubleshooting, and workflows. The purpose of this work is to demonstrate the robustness of computational essays as an all-in-one assessment tool in the context of interdisciplinary courses and undergraduate research experiences at a primarily undergraduate institution.

Comparison of Student Outcomes in a Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience: Face-to-Face, Hybrid, and Online Delivery of a Biology Laboratory

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) incorporate authentic research instead of confirmatory exercises into laboratory courses. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a general shift in instructional modalities from face-to-face (F2F) towards hybrid and online teaching. Student impacts caused by the abrupt shift to online teaching have been characterized, but comparisons between modalities for CUREs are missing. Therefore, we evaluated student learning and attitudinal outcomes in F2F, hybrid, and online delivery of an introductory college biology CURE. Additionally, we compared student outcomes between White/Asian students and persons excluded due to ethnicity or race (PEER) in these modalities. There were significant learning differences between modalities, but there were no significant learning differences by PEER status. Of six attitudinal variables, one varied significantly by modality and three varied significantly for PEER students. These results suggest that CUREs can be adapted to the online or hybrid modality with minimal impacts on student outcomes.

Addressing Foodborne Illness in Côte d'Ivoire: Connecting the Classroom to the Community through a Nonmajors Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience.

ABSTRACTThe integration of course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) laboratory curricula has provided new avenues to engage students at all levels in discovery-based learning. Empirical research demonstrates that CUREs have the potential to foster students’ development of scientific process and reasoning skills, attitudes, motivations, and persistence in STEM. Yet, these outcomes are largely reported for studies conducted in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia. It therefore remains unclear to what extent CUREs are impactful for students enrolled in alternate international university contexts. To address this concern, we conducted a quasi-experimental mixed methods study to investigate the impact of a one-semester food microbiology and public health (FMPH) CURE on nonmajors students’ development of science identity, science communication and process skills, science community values, and science-society perceptions at a private institution in Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa. Content analysis of students’ end-of-semester research poster products and thematic analysis of student responses to post-semester open-ended survey items revealed positive gains with respect to student learning and student perceptions of the relevancy of their research to diverse audiences. Paired t-test analyses of pre-/post-semester closed-ended survey responses likewise indicated significant gains in students’ science identity and science community values development as well as their confidence in handling and treating foods to reduce the bacterial load on those foods. Collectively, these findings suggest that the FMPH CURE was a meaningful and relevant learning experience capable of promoting students’ growth as scientists and scientifically-minded citizens.

From Undergraduate Research to Graduation: Measuring the Robustness of the Pathway at a Hispanic-Serving Institution.

Based on several regression specifications that control for a host of covariates, this article demonstrates that the quantity of undergraduate research experience was by far the most important determinant for increased graduation rates at a 100% Hispanic-serving institution. Our finding also shows a causal relationship confirmed by propensity score matching analyses. Results underscore the high impact but sometimes underestimated contribution of undergraduate research to academic success, even for teaching-oriented colleges.

A Capstone Laboratory theme investigating properties of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and their solubilization by cationic surfactant micelles.

Research experience is becoming an increasingly crucial element of today's undergraduate science curriculum. In recent years, the establishment of the Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience Network (CUREnet) has provided a framework for the development of courses aiming to cultivate students' proficiency in undergraduate research techniques while fostering scientific curiosity in a laboratory setting. Capstone Laboratory is one such course that was designed to provide second-year pre-medical students at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar with exposure to laboratory techniques to develop their repertoire of research skills. For the past 3 years, Capstone Laboratory has incorporated a project-based learning component involving non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The research element of the NSAID-surfactant theme investigated the partitioning of various drugs into cationic surfactant micelles. Structural elements and enzyme inhibition characteristics of NSAIDs were also investigated, while integrating principles of biochemistry, general chemistry, and experimental organic chemistry. By studying drug properties in these contexts, students integrate their learning and develop skills needed for the study and practice of medicine.

Socialization, Tacit Knowledge, and Conceptions of ‘Experience’ among Engineers

Engineers value undergraduate research experience as an important step towards becoming an engineer. However, what the word ‘experience’ means in this context is ambiguous. We draw from qualitative interviews with engineering faculty members, graduate students, and undergraduate students to identify four categories of experience that they consider relevant to engineering: (1) practical experience: ‘real-world’ skills and opportunities that resemble the work done in engineering careers and graduate school, (2) social experience: the interpersonal aspects of working with a team, including norms of behavior and communication, (3) professional experience: skills and opportunities that are useful in aspects of students’ lives beyond a specific job, such as how to manage their time, and (4) epistemic experience: learning about and applying abstract engineering knowledge. By deriving a typology of ‘experience’ based on how faculty members and students talk about undergraduate research, this study offers insights into how engineers in universities understand engineering expertise, professionalization, and collaboration. Reflecting on what kinds of ‘experience’ a good engineer needs also reveals the power dynamics between mentors and novices, and between junior engineers’ sometimes conflicting roles as both laborers and learners.

Measuring integrated understanding of undergraduate chemistry research experiences: assessing oral and written research artifacts

Understanding the impact of undergraduate research experiences (UREs) and course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) is crucial as universities debate the value of allocating scarce resources to these activities. We report on the Berkeley Undergraduate Research Evaluation Tools (BURET), designed to assess the learning outcomes of UREs and CUREs in chemistry and other sciences. To validate the tools, we administered BURET to 70 undergraduate students in the College of Chemistry and 19 students from other STEM fields, comparing the performance of students who had less than one year of undergraduate research to those with more than one year of research experience. Students wrote reflections and responded to interviews during poster presentations of their research project. BURET asks students to communicate the significance of their project, analyze their experimental design, interpret their data, and propose future research. Scoring rubrics reward students for integrating disciplinary evidence into their narratives. We found that the instruments yielded reliable scores, and the results clarified the impacts of undergraduate research, specifically characterizing the strengths and weaknesses of undergraduate researchers in chemistry at our institution. Students with at least a year of research experience were able to use disciplinary evidence more effectively than those with less than one year of experience. First-year students excelled at explaining the societal relevance of their work, but they incorporated only minimal discussion of prior research into their reflections and presentations. Students at all levels struggled to critique their own experimental design. These results have important implications for undergraduate learning, suggesting areas for faculty members, graduate student research mentors, and CURE or URE programs to improve undergraduate research experiences.

Undergraduate Research Experience Models: A systematic review of the literature from 2011 to 2021

Undergraduate research experiences (UREs) impart a great deal of knowledge to undergraduate students, enhance the research capital of institutes, and authenticate the country's educational outcomes. To effectively assimilate these benefits, the URE designers have proposed many different learning models. However, there is little work done to assess and compare the effectiveness of these varying learning models being adopted in various disciplines. Hence, this article provides an educational research review on the effective pedagogical models in URE to enhance the research experiences of undergraduate students. We initially screened 331 articles and finally compared 67 studies between 2011 and 2021 ranging in different disciplines to understand and weigh out the influence of these URE models with a special focus on the ones in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) related fields. This study also indicates the factors that mediate a constructive relationship between students and specific URE models like the Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) model in juxtaposing with other traditional and hybrid URE models. Most models have been implemented to biology-related fields and experienced in the United States (U.S.). This depicts a gap in research for the effective implementation of URE in other STEM fields and other countries. Moreover, the CURE model was found to be an effective practice providing large-scale research opportunities to students. However, it is majorly focused on the life sciences field and needs more extensive research in the other disciplines. Also, being comparatively a newer form of URE, there is room for more research in developing this model. While other traditional and hybrid models demonstrated positive characteristics, large reforms are needed for their efficient implementation. Finally, we summarize the strengths and limitations of the URE models from the last decade to highlight the practically successful models for future designers to be implemented in different disciplines.

The Impact of an Undergraduate Research Experience on Graduate Degree Attainment across Academic Divisions

Initially promoted in the sciences, undergraduate research experiences (UREs) are now common academic offerings for students across all areas of curricula. This study extends previous research by evaluating the impact of a URE along two new dimensions: on different graduate degree attainments of students PhD or master's/professional degrees and by the academic area of the URE (in the sciences, social sciences, or humanities). These issues are investigated using a unique student record database and employing an empirical framework to address the sample selection inherent in URE evaluation. UREs are found to have a positive impact on PhD completion in the sciences and social sciences but no impact in the humanities. No evidence is found that UREs impact attainment of master’s and professional degrees.

What's Old Made New

Abstract This article showcases a guided research project that explores Viet Thanh Nguyen's The Sympathizer (2015) as an adaptation of Hamlet. A digital component to the project further visualizes the reach of Shakespeare's work into that of contemporary writers of color. The discussion underscores how an undergraduate research experience in canonical English literature opens new connections to contemporary depictions of a globalizing world, as well as how digital tools can visualize those connections and grant the student a valuable set of skills.

Undergraduate Research and Inquiry-Based Learning in Geographical Information Science: A Case Study from China

Undergraduate research experience is the process where undergraduates contribute to the development of a subject field through their inquiry-based learning (IBL). IBL is a student-centered learning strategy. Students work as professional scientists do, through inquiry. This article presents approaches to IBL and practices of an instructor from China for strengthening and facilitating IBL in geographical information science (GIS). Two paths were proposed for the development of the students on the basis of four modes of IBL. The practical experience was introduced in two parts: course design and IBL tool development for classroom teaching, and undergraduate mentoring outside of the classroom.

It Takes a Village: Refereed Writing in the Undergraduate Research Experience

It Takes a Village: Refereed Writing in the Undergraduate Research Experience

Mentoring High-Impact Undergraduate Research Experiences

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.

Design and implementation of a cohort‐based undergraduate research experience in the agricultural sciences

AbstractScience, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education is consistently seen as a top priority; however, STEM programs often suffer from low retention. Students who start in STEM degree programs often lose interest or face obstacles that cause them to leave. Here, we describe a non‐traditional approach meant to encourage a range of students to pursue or continue their STEM education. Active learning approaches have long been touted to stimulate long‐term interest and prepare students for a career in natural science. We provide a case study of an interdisciplinary, cohort‐centric, mentor‐guided summer research internship. By establishing an understanding of how science is currently conducted in agriculture, through several faculty mentors, the program allowed students to embrace their core interests while being able to fit into larger interdisciplinary narratives which provided motivation to continue their path in STEM education.

Student Perceptions of Mentoring Practices During Undergraduate Research Experiences

Research experiences for undergraduate (REU) students are valuable for exploring STEM professions. Students from underrepresented groups and non-research institutions may not have the opportunities to engage in hands-on research. A primary goal of our Applied Plant Systems REU was to provide authentic research experiences for students who may not have the chance. Mentoring is key to the success of a REU, yet intentional mentoring is not often prioritized. Over three summers, we explored student perception of the value of mentoring within an agricultural STEM REU. Pre- and post-survey responses were analyzed, and we found that the students valued specific aspects of mentoring during their REU. Interestingly, at the end of the REU, the survey result showed that the students placed a higher importance on items such as mentoring being a systematic process and that mentoring is based on friendship. There is clear indication that students know good mentoring when they experience it, even if it is not verbalized. Based on the survey responses and comments from students involved in this REU, we developed practical mentoring items which can be incorporated into research programs to enhance the mentoring experience.

Conducting Consequential Research

AbstractThis article examines the value undergraduate research adds to writing centers in their role as anchor institutions within English and across college and university campuses. It focuses on a pilot project conducted by a team of mentored peer tutors who researched the accessibility of writing at Marquette University. Their successes and failures show how, beyond research findings, undergraduate research experience can be consequential for practitioners and their communities.

A Culture of Undergraduate Research at a Diverse Public University Leads to Unprecedented Student Success

Student participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) undergraduate research experiences has received national emphasis. The undergraduate research model used at a comprehensive public university supported faculty-mentored student projects across STEM and all disciplines. Between 2016 and 2019, 356 undergraduate students presented their research work annually at a campus showcase, with participation levels more than doubling over time. A rigorous study identified best practices for engaging all undergraduate majors in authentic research experiences. Results confirmed that the undergraduate research model successfully supported both traditional and minority populations. At the same time, 24 percent more STEM-related majors maintained an overall 0.13 higher first-year GPA than the general population of undergraduates. In addition, campus engagement was 42 percent higher for the showcase participants.