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The effects of an intensive research experience on the career of talented undergraduates
Abstract
22 undergraduates participating in an intensive research program worked 40+ hrs/wk and on a 1-to-1 basis with a researcher developing and executing a research study, analyzing data, and preparing a report. On a follow-up telephone survey, Ss in the research program reported a greater change in research skills, greater research productivity, and stronger interest in research as a career choice than 21 undergraduate controls. Experimental Ss also were accepted at and attended graduate programs rated higher in research productivity than controls. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
... Much research has shown the important benefits of students participating in undergraduate research [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]. Students who participate in research have reported many positive outcomes, such as more expertlike epistemology [8,9] and increased persistence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) [10]. ...
... There have been calls for an increase in course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) in response to numerous studies showing the overwhelmingly positive benefits of undergraduate research experiences and the increased inclusivity and accessibility of the course-based research format [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]19]. CUREs are unique learning environments, which differentiate themselves from both "traditional" and "inquiry-based" labs because the discoveries that are made in the course are initially unknown to both students and instructors and have value to the broader scientific community [1]. ...
Over the last decade, course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) have been recognized as a way to improve undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education by engaging students in authentic discovery. CUREs have been shown to have positive benefits similar to traditional undergraduate research experiences; however, they can reach a larger number of students and are open to all students who enroll in the course. Motivated by the need to redesign the large introductory physics lab at The University of Colorado–Boulder to be fully remote in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we designed and implemented the first remote, large-enrollment, physics CURE. Here, we detail the motivations and the challenges when designing the course, and provide detailed descriptions of the course components. Throughout the course, we collected course artifacts and administered surveys to the students. Based on these data sources, we find that this course helped students gain research skills and coding confidence, engage in productive and enjoyable teamwork experiences, and feel motivated and interested in experimental physics research.
... [1][2][3][4] There is now the realization that undergraduate students conducting extracurricular scientific research improved their critical thinking and creativity, and has been going on in the West for several decades. [5][6][7][8] In China, undergraduate research has also attracted increasing attention and the driving force has come from medical students and universities. Every medical school in China has a national-, provincial-or university-initiated innovation program, which support and encourage undergraduate students to participate in scientific activities. ...
... There are already many reports that undergraduate students would benefit from participating in scientific research within a research group and under the supervision of a faculty member. 3,4,7,8,10 However, this does not mean that there are no objections about this issue. 11,12 These criticisms may be partly attributed to the nature of the scientific research activity being offered. ...
The benefits and long‐term effects of extracurricular scientific research on undergraduate students in many countries have been intensively investigated, but it remains obscure for Chinese medical students. In this study, we investigated the outcome of 60 medical students who have participated in extracurricular scientific research at Jinan University Medical School over a period of 7 years (2011–2018). The results revealed that these students have contributed to 31 biomedical science articles in reputable academic journals, as first‐ or co‐authors. Furthermore, they also independently procured various funding based on their research achievements, and smaller awards for achievements in conferences and competitions. Assessment of the grade point average score of these students revealed that conducting extracurricular scientific research did not affect their routine medical study and exam grades (P>0.05). The students benefited from participating in extracurricular research, by acquiring the ability to think scientifically and enhancing their communication skills. In addition, the medical students were motivated to enlist for postgraduate studies so that they could further embark in scientific research. In sum, Chinese medical students are capable of participating in scientific research and make a significant contribution to science.
... They note that the students commented on the value of their authentic research experience to them and the role it played in motivating them to consider a future in research as a possible career path. Some researchers asked participants to rate their research experiences during their intensive summer research program, specifically asking about the research skills they gained, for example, literature review, research design, data collection, analysis, and writing skills (Kardash, 2000;Kremer & Bringle, 1990). ...
... The importance of qualitative research on undergraduates' perceptions of their research experience has been advocated by several researchers (Bauer & Bennett, 2003;Seymour et al., 2004). The impact of undergraduate research experience on their selection to graduate school has been the focus of some research studies (Kremer & Bringle, 1990;Mabrouk & Peters, 2000). ...
Teachers of English are usually involved in setting and scoring assessments but their assessment literacy and assessment practices are rarely studied. The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the findings of a study which was conducted with secondary level school teachers of English in Sri Lanka on their assessment literacy and assessment practices. The present study adopted a mixed-methods research design. The sample consisted of 150 teachers from different types of state and private schools in Sri Lanka. A questionnaire which consisted of both closed- and open-ended questions was administered to these teachers, and interviews were conducted with a sub-sample of teachers. Assessments set by these teachers were also studied. The findings revealed that teachers in the sample were literate about assessment principles to a fair extent. However, their application of that knowledge when designing and administering assessments was not so satisfactory. There were some teachers who had no training in assessment principles but were expected to design tests. The practices those untrained teachers adopt when setting assessments were also discovered through this study. The study revealed many factors that affect teachers’ choice of content, number of questions, testing techniques, and scoring methods.
... The merits of having undergraduate students participate in this kind of work have been stressed by a number of scholars (Bauer & Bennett, 2003;Craney, McKay, Mazzeo, Prigodich, & Groot, 2011;Davis, Mahatmya, Garner, & Jones, 2015;Harrison, Dunn, & Coombe, 2006;Hathaway, Nagda, & Gregerman, 2002;Hu, Kuh, & Li, 2008;Kremer & Bringle, 1990;Nagda, Gregerman, Jonides, von Hippel, & Lerner, 1998;Seymour, Hunter, Laursen, & DeAntoni, 2004). For example, undergraduate research has been called a high-impact practice that helps students to enhance their persistence (Kuh, 2008;Nagda et al., 1998), develop their interest in graduate school (Hathaway et al., 2002;Kremer & Bringle, 1990), improve their research skills (Bauer & Bennett, 2003), improve retention (Nagda et al., 1998), and encourage professional and self development (Lopatto, 2006;Seymour et al., 2004). ...
... The merits of having undergraduate students participate in this kind of work have been stressed by a number of scholars (Bauer & Bennett, 2003;Craney, McKay, Mazzeo, Prigodich, & Groot, 2011;Davis, Mahatmya, Garner, & Jones, 2015;Harrison, Dunn, & Coombe, 2006;Hathaway, Nagda, & Gregerman, 2002;Hu, Kuh, & Li, 2008;Kremer & Bringle, 1990;Nagda, Gregerman, Jonides, von Hippel, & Lerner, 1998;Seymour, Hunter, Laursen, & DeAntoni, 2004). For example, undergraduate research has been called a high-impact practice that helps students to enhance their persistence (Kuh, 2008;Nagda et al., 1998), develop their interest in graduate school (Hathaway et al., 2002;Kremer & Bringle, 1990), improve their research skills (Bauer & Bennett, 2003), improve retention (Nagda et al., 1998), and encourage professional and self development (Lopatto, 2006;Seymour et al., 2004). Undergraduates who conduct research acquire skills and have experiences that can assist them in their chosen career areas and these help them to gain confidence, think like researchers, and develop problemsolving skills (Folk, 2016;Seymour et al., 2004). ...
This paper describes a class project that engaged undergraduate students as researchers to learn about the concepts and practices involved in conducting and sharing research regarding hospitality and tourism. The class project focused on helping students learn how to conduct qualitative research, specifically interviews, and to understand the tourism-related aspirations, behaviors, and future travel intentions of their peers. Results of the project were shared with community partners involved in tourism promotion in the local area, as a service learning project. In this paper, the project is described and implications for teaching, research, and service are offered. Suggested practices for working with students as researchers are also provided.
... 21 A large body of literature has demonstrated the benefits of student participation in undergraduate research (UR). [22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30] Pervasive changes in student behavior required in the future STEM workforce include the ability to think independently, formulate one's own ideas, become more intrinsically motivated to learn, and become a more active learner. There is no absolute consensus on how UR influences career choices, 22,26,31 but the chance to conduct independent research is often cited as the compelling experience that launches a scientific career. ...
... [22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30] Pervasive changes in student behavior required in the future STEM workforce include the ability to think independently, formulate one's own ideas, become more intrinsically motivated to learn, and become a more active learner. There is no absolute consensus on how UR influences career choices, 22,26,31 but the chance to conduct independent research is often cited as the compelling experience that launches a scientific career. 21, 32 "Introduce the scientific process to students early" is also one of the changes advocated by the American Association for the Advancement of Science's (AAAS) Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education. ...
Creating Opportunities for Students in Science (COMPASS) Scholarship Program at UNC Pembroke (UNCP) – an S-STEM National Science Foundation award – was designed to improve STEM retention at UNC Pembroke and to contribute to the national need for more STEM professionals from diverse backgrounds. At UNCP, some challenges to recruitment and retention in STEM disciplines that have been cited by students include: poor preparation, being intimidated by difficult material, lack of understanding of career opportunities in STEM, and financial need. The COMPASS program is contributing to alleviate barriers and improve STEM experiences for talented Biology, Biotechnology, Environmental Science, and Chemistry undergraduates with demonstrated financial need, via a combination of financial support, research experiences, internships, professional development, tutoring, and mentoring. These four majors make up most of the STEM undergraduates (about 83%) at UNCP. Therefore, concentrating in these disciplines makes the program more cohesive, with virtually all activities being of interest to all students. It is also a more effective way for Biology and Chemistry faculty to mentor the students.
... There is a growing body of evidence that suggests students derive personal and intellectual benefit when they engage in independent and mentored research activities, which enable discovery and application. These benefits include greater persistence in post-secondary studies and higher graduation rates (Lopatto, 2004(Lopatto, , 2007Stanford, Roceleau, Smith & Mohan, 2017), the production of higher quality work (Kremer & Bringle, 1990), and an increase in understanding, confidence and awareness related to their field of inquiry (Russell, Hancock & McCullough, 2007). Others have argued that the process of undergraduate research leads to positive student-faculty interactions outside of the classroom which increase student academic achievement, sense of belonging, and student confidence (Astin, 1993;Koch & Johnson, 2000;Terenzini & Pascarella, 1991;Seymour, et al., 2003). ...
To cultivate a learning environment promoting meaningful engagement with research, Huron University College—a small, primarily undergraduate liberal arts institution—launched the Centre for Undergraduate Research Learning (CURL). One major initiative of CURL's pilot phase was to fund extracurricular research opportunities (Student Fellowships) for undergraduate students. These projects enable students to conduct independent research projects with the guidance of a faculty mentor. The current paper presents the findings from a case study of the first four CURL Student Research Fellowship award recipients and their faculty mentors, using the concept of transformative experience (Heddy and Pugh, 2015) as the lens to conduct a content analysis of participant interviews. Our findings show evidence of substantive dialogue and active collaboration between students and their faculty mentors, providing a safe space for students to experiment, explore and develop their research skills. The students articulated development of specific skills related to research process, connection between theory and practice, as well as personal intellectual and interpersonal gains, which are suggestive of a transformative experience in progress. Although this paper reports on a limited sample, the findings may provide insight into the potential transformative impact of mentored undergraduate research experiences in the liberal arts.
... Mogk and Tomovic similarly reported that partaking in undergraduate research is considered an effective educational tool which enhances the overall undergraduate experience [6], [7]. Such tool has further proven to increase the pursuit of STEM degrees and graduate education for every ethnic group [8], [9], [10]. It was reported by Bauer and Bennett that participating in research venues improves skills such as carrying out research assignments, speaking effectively, and acquiring and interpreting data [11]. ...
... Hurtado et al. [10] reported that research opportunities have further facilitated the decision of its participants to pursue STEM careers and Ph.D. studies post-graduation [13]. Such academic tool has further proven to increase the pursuit of STEM degrees and graduate education for every ethnic group [15], [16], [17]. ...
... It is further reported that partaking in undergraduate research opportunities is considered an effective educational tool regarding the overall undergraduate experience [13], [14]. Such tool has proven to increase the pursuit of STEM degrees and graduate education for every ethnic group [15], [16], [17]. Bauer and Bennett further reported that participating in research venues improves skills such as speaking effectively, carrying out research assignments, and acquiring and interpreting data [18]. ...
... Over several years, a large body of evidence has accumulated to support the value of Undergraduate Research Experiences (UREs) to promote student interest, engagement, and persistence in STEM (Kremer and Bringle, 1990;Alexander et al., 1998;Nagda et al., 1998;Zydney et al., 2002;Lopatto, 2004;Russell, 2006;Laursen et al., 2010). Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) can reach many more students than the traditional URE because the research can be embedded as part of a required curriculum (Shaffer et al., 2010;Bangera and Brownell, 2014;Jordan et al., 2014;Wolkow et al., 2014;National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2015;Dolan, 2016;Rodenbusch et al., 2016;Dolan and Weaver, 2021;Buchanan and Fisher, 2022;Hanauer et al., 2022;Hensel, 2023). ...
Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) are a high-impact educational practice that engage students with authentic research in the classroom. CURE development models include those designed and implemented at individual institutions to wide-reaching multi-institutional network CUREs. The latter have lowered barriers to implementation by providing a centralized support system, centralized training and curricula, and mentoring. CURE learning outcomes span the three domains of learning: knowledge, skills, and attitude. Assessment of these domains can serve a variety of purposes to a collection of different stakeholders. To better understand the CURE assessment landscape from the instructor’s point of view we surveyed instructors from an established network CURE. We found that these instructors, particularly those from associate’s colleges, overwhelmingly prefer use of knowledge and skills-based assessments over attitudinal CURE assessment instruments. Instructors value knowledge and skills assessment data when deciding whether to adopt a particular CURE and for identifying student misconceptions to improve CURE instruction, and for documentation necessary for Community College transfer agreements or for gaining approval from curriculum committees. CURE learning models have pointed toward use of generalizable instruments for measuring CURE outcomes, but since knowledge and skills assessments are typically CURE specific, obtaining funds for their development may not be realistic. To address this concern, we outline a CURE network stakeholder co-design process for developing and validating a knowledge and skills assessment instrument without external support or a sizable time commitment. We encourage network CUREs to leverage their communities to generate and validate knowledge and skills assessment instruments to further lower barriers for instructor adoption.
... First, the hypothesised benefits of undergraduate level research are both justifiably claimed and strongly supported. For example, acquiring basic research skills (Kardash 2000;Kremmer and Bringle 1990;Mackey and Gass 2022;Terrell 2019), enhancing students' understanding of scientific knowledge (Ryder, Leach, and Driver 1999), and describing the epistemological development of participants (Rauckhorst 2001;Rathnakar 2018) are among the immediate merits of research. Second, Seymour et al. (2004) found that the 'hypothesized benefits are either simply stated, or claimed, but not adequately demonstrated ' (p.494). ...
Research is an indispensable part of any educational endeavour generally and graduate/postgraduate studies particularly, since the Iranian educational system requires M.A. and Ph.D. candidates to submit a thesis or dissertation as partial fulfilment of the requirements for attaining their respective academic degrees. However, a review of the related research reveals that students’ perceptions of ELT research have largely gone unexplored. The current study is a step forward in attempting to fill the mentioned gap through an examination of Iranian graduate students’ perceptions of conducting ELT research. In this line, 32 Iranian graduate-level ELT students were initially selectedbased on convenient sampling. Their perceptions of ELT research were collected through interviews and later analysed using the framework of Grounded Theory Analysis (GTA). The data collected in the form of participants’ answers to interview questions were grouped into three general themes: a) definitions and conceptualisations, b) motivational drives, and c) challenges of conducting ELT research. The results revealed that by removing impediments to the way of conducting ELT research, the quality and quantity of research conducted by Iranian M.A./Ph.D. ELT candidates may be greatly improved. The findings may yield some implications for Iranian ELT policymakers, practitioners, instructors, researchers, and graduate students.
... Data exist on the capacity of research experience to effectively enhance the overall educational experience for undergraduate students, with increased retention and satisfaction (Lopatto, 2004;Zhan & Lam, 2011). Other links have been established between student research experiences with the decision to pursue post-graduate studies and careers in STEM (Follmer et al., 2015;Hathaway et al., 2002;Kremer & Bringle, 1990). Exposure to research at the undergraduate level helps with graduate school eligibility as well as improved productivity and success rate at the graduate level (Baron et al., 2020). ...
The purpose of this study was to assess students’ self-perceptions of their research abilities and develop strategies to improve research skills among undergraduate students. The instrument was administered to students in a Kinesiology department at a university in Midwest U.S.A. Fifteen questions were included in the self-administered questionnaire, which includes research habits, past research experiences, and self-perceptions on research skills and demographics. Data based on a total of 315 respondents showed that most students reported higher levels of self-perceived research skills such as information literacy skills, ethical principles, and communication skills. However, students reported lower levels of confidence in research design and statistical skills. The results of this study illustrate the importance of developing research skills among students. Key strategies include coaching, mentoring, and providing more research opportunities.
... A CURE is a formal course in which all students can enroll and engages the entire class of students in an authentic scientific research project, seeking to answer a question that is of genuine interest to the scientific community [2]. In this manner, a CURE seeks to replicate much of what is present in "traditional" undergraduate research experiences (UREs), which have been shown to have numerous positive benefits [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9], including development of more expertlike epistemology [9,10] and increased persistence in STEM [11]. However, traditional research experiences can come with institutional and systemic barriers to entry [2,[12][13][14][15], many of which are generally absent in a CURE, since by definition it is an authentic research experience open to all who enroll. ...
[This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Instructional labs: Improving traditions and new directions.] Over the last decade, course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) have been recognized as a way to improve undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education by engaging students in authentic research practices. One of these authentic practices is participating in teamwork and collaboration, which is increasingly considered to be an important component of undergraduate research experiences and laboratory classes. For example, the American Association of Physics Teachers Recommendations for the Undergraduate Physics Laboratory Curriculum suggest that one of the goals for students in physics labs should be to develop “interpersonal communication skills” through “teamwork and collaboration.” Teamwork can have tremendous benefits for students, including increased motivation, creativity, and reflection; however, it can also pose an array of new social and environmental challenges, such as differing styles of communication, levels of commitment, and understanding of concepts. It can also be difficult for lab course instructors to evaluate and assess. In this work, we study student teamwork in a large-enrollment physics CURE. The CURE was specifically designed to emphasize teamwork as a scientific practice. We use the two sources of data, the adaptive instrument for regulation of emotions questionnaire and students’ written memos to future researchers, to measure the students’ teamwork goals, challenges, self, co-, and socially shared regulations, and perceived goal attainment. We find that students overwhelmingly achieved their teamwork goals by overcoming obstacles using primarily socially shared regulatory strategies, and that the vast majority of students felt teamwork was an essential part of their research experience. We discuss implications for the design of future CUREs and lab courses and for lab instructors desiring to assess teamwork in their own courses.
... Multiple calls have been made to provide early exposure of undergraduate students to research experiences in order to increase retention in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields (1)(2)(3). Research experiences for undergraduates have been tied to various benefits for students, such as increased interest in research careers and improved research-related skills (4)(5)(6)(7)(8). Traditionally, undergraduate research experiences have been through apprenticed work in a research laboratory either during the academic year or over the summers. ...
Calls for early exposure of all undergraduates to research have led to the increased use and study of course-based research experiences (CREs). CREs have been shown to increase measures of persistence in the sciences, such as science identity, scientific self-efficacy, project ownership, scientific community values, and networking. However, implementing CREs can be challenging and resource-intensive. These barriers may be partly mitigated by the use of short-term CRE modules rather than semester- or year-long projects. One study has shown that a CRE module captures some of the known benefits of CREs as measured by the Persistence in the Sciences (PITS) survey. Here, we used this same survey to assess outcomes for introductory biology students who completed a semester of modular CREs based on faculty research at an R1 university. The results indicated levels of self-efficacy, science community values, and science identity similar to those previously reported for students in the Science Education Alliance-Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) full-semester CRE. Scores for project ownership (content) were between previously reported traditional lab and CRE scores, while project ownership (emotion) and networking were similar to those of traditional labs. Our results suggest that modular CREs can lead to significant gains in student affect measures that have been linked to persistence in the sciences in other studies. Although gains were not as great in all measures as with a semester-long CRE, implementation of modular CREs may be more feasible and offers the added benefits of exposing students to diverse research fields and lab techniques.
... Experiential learning, when paired with undergraduate research, has significant benefits, though not all the benefits are easily measured (Crow 2015). Nonetheless, prior work has shown that students who are involved in research: (1) gain self-confidence (Ferrari and Jason 1996, Campbell and Skoog 2004, Houlden et al. 2004), (2) are more likely to complete their education (Nagda et al. 1998, Ishiyama 2001), and(3) are more likely to go on to graduate school (Kremer and Bringle 1990, Chandra et al. 1998, Foertsche et al. 2000, Ishiyama 2001) compared with students who did not have a research experience (Hakim 1998, Kardash 2000, Hathaway et al. 2002, Ishiyama 2002, Seymour et al. 2003, Lopatto 2004. ...
The i‐NATURE (Indigenous iNtegration of Aquatic sciences and Traditional Ecological Knowledge for Undergraduate culturally Responsive Education) is a culturally relevant, project‐, and place‐based curriculum that included extensive applied research experience contextualized for specific Indigenous communities. The program developed a model for incorporating Traditional Ecological Knowledge into STEM undergraduate education which included direct participation of several Indigenous communities in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. After implementation of the i‐NATURE model, we tested whether the inclusive pedagogical strategies used in our intervention improved retention and learning outcomes for the students who participated in the i‐NATURE program. We report a highly significant difference in annual retention and mean course grade point average in the Environmental Science and Studies Programs pre‐ and post‐implementation of the i‐NATURE curriculum. We also report an increase in student interest in pursuing STEM careers and the impacts of the i‐NATURE curricula on two undergraduate participants. This study indicates that academic and research experiences in STEM higher education programming, that incorporates cultural relevant ways of knowing and is reflective of Indigenous community values, can improve student success outcomes and garner interest in pursuing STEM careers.
... Considering these challenges, it is not surprising that in existing studies of undergraduate research outcomes in the humanities, arts, and social sciences, the observations are often based on student experiences in programs with centralized assessment and specific diversity and career objectives such as the McNair Research Scholars or Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellows programs (Nnadozie, Ishiyama, and Chon 2001;Prenovitz et al. 2016). In other instances, the knowledge comes largely from studies of relatively small programs or a small number of students, often limited to a particular program or department, or where the research structure more closely mirrors traditional STEM experiences (e.g. , Hartmann 1990;Kremer and Bringle 1990;Ishiyama 2002;Landrum and Nelsen ASSESSMENT 2002;Rand 2016). Even where humanities, arts, and social science research opportunities are addressed as a part of cross-disciplinary data sets (e.g., Craney et al. 2011;Lopatto 2006), the observations are often drawn from specialized summer programs or laboratory-like settings. ...
This article assesses outcomes among students who pursued faculty-mentored research in those fields and concurrently participated in programs administered through UCLA’s Undergraduate Research Center for the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. Compared to a quasi-control group of nonresearch students, the research students reported statistically significant better outcomes on average in attaining several of the skills sought by today’s employers.
... Research experiences for undergraduates (REU) programs are widely promoted as an effective educational tool for enhancing the undergraduate experience 8,9 with multiple benefits 10 , the most instrumental of which is an increased interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers 11,12 . REU fosters increased persistence in the pursuit of an undergraduate degree 13 ; increased interest in pursuing graduate education 14,15 ; and gains in skills by REU alumni over comparison groups (conducting research, acquiring information, and speaking effectively) 16 . REU helps develop career pathways for underrepresented students by increasing minority retention 13 and the number of minority students pursuing graduate degrees 17 . ...
... In the CURE model, "students work on research problems with unknown answers that are broadly relevant to stakeholders outside of the classroom and, as such, participate in 'authentic research'" (Shortlidge, Bangera, and Brownell 2017). That students benefit from participation in research projects with faculty members is widely documented (Bauer and Bennett 2003;Hathaway, Nagda, and Gregerman 2002;Hunter, Laursen, and Seymour 2007;Kardash 2000;Kremer and Bringle 1990;Laursen et al. 2010;Lopatto 2004Lopatto , 2007Lopatto , 2010Russell, Hancock, and McCullough 2007;Seymour et al. 2004;Thiry and Laursen 2011), but so is the problem that research experiences often cannot accommodate large groups of students or are unavailable to all but a select few who are able to take advantage of such opportunities (Desai et al. 2008;Harrison et al. 2011;Wood 2003). Thus, the CURE model, with its emphasis on full class participation in research during regularly scheduled class meetings, has been deployed to address the need to offer research experience to many students (Wei and Woodin 2011) as well as a more diverse group of students, especially women, minority, and nontraditional students (Bangera and Brownell 2014). ...
Full text: https://www.cur.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Sum20-Kao.pdf
Using a course-based undergraduate research experience
(CURE) model of education, an English composition
instructor designed an honors section of first-year com-
position to evaluate current best practices in the field
of teaching writing to STEM undergraduates. The stu-
dents, all first-year engineering majors, conducted guided
research on best practices in teaching writing at STEM
universities, created an in-class activity based on their
findings that could be used in their own or other first-year
composition classes, tested each other’s activities in small
groups, and gave feedback on the activities themselves and
the theories behind the best practices. The article presents
an overview of the course and its objectives; summarizes
the students’ activity designs, results, and conclusions; and
concludes with student feedback and lessons learned.
... Mogk and Tomovic reported that partaking in undergraduate research opportunities is considered an effective educational tool which enhances the overall undergraduate experience [22], [23]. Such tool has proven to increase the pursuit of STEM degrees and graduate education for every ethnic group [24], [25], [26]. Bauer and Bennett further reported that participating in research venues improves skills such as speaking effectively, carrying out research assignments, and acquiring and interpreting data [27]. ...
In this study, a new model for attracting, advancing, and advocating for the participation of underrepresented minorities in research venues is proposed with the intention of fostering academic inclusion, development, and post-graduation mentorship. It involves developing and nurturing a disposition from faculty by proactively identifying students via classroom interaction, performance, and academic aptitude and extending a personal invitation to collaborate on the research team. Current research opportunities for engineering undergraduates at tier-one institutions are obtained by students' incentive to communicate with faculty members via email or office hours. Despite the available opportunities, only a limited number of students are selected to participate due to the finite space and a degree of competency within a group. As for underrepresented minorities, such as Latino and African American students, these types of venues may seem inaccessible since a large number are first-generation college students who encounter supplementary challenges due to their cultural background, lack of proper academic guidance, and other institutional-based factors. These challenges oftentimes hinder their exposure, access, and participation to such academic resources that are necessary components for securing employment post-graduation or establishing fundamental research knowledge for graduate school. In the process of performing research, the faculty member serves as a mentor by providing extensive technical guidance and offer emotional support to strengthen academic development while simultaneously advocating post-graduation career venues. Primary results of the proposed model indicate increased levels of underrepresented minority student interest and motivation to engage in research as evidenced by the testimonies of current members. These emerging findings attest to the importance of faculty members’ desire to outreach directly with the students and establishing culturally responsive pathways for engaging minority students in research opportunities. Thus, students attract employers associated in the realm of research interest or attend graduate school post-graduation.
... Educators recognize that undergraduate research motivates students to apply to graduate school -ethnic minorities and women groups in engineering must become an integral part of such a technical workforce. Research experience for undergraduates (REU) fosters the pursuit of an undergraduate degree 25 ; increased interest in pursuing graduate education 26,27 ; and gains in skills by REU alumni over comparison groups (in conducting research, acquiring information, and speaking effectively) 28 . REUs develop career pathways, increasing minority retention 25 and the pursuit of graduate degrees 29 . ...
... This highlights a potential knowledge gap in students' understanding of research methodologies and analytical and/or biochemical measurements related to the field of nutritional toxicology. Exposure of undergraduate students to laboratory research has been shown to increase their confidence in working independently and problem solving (Harrison, Dunbar, Ratmansky, Boyd, & Lopatto, 2011), while simultaneously gaining practical lab skills (Kremmer & Bringle, 1990;Kardash, 2000;Seymour, 2004) and their scientific knowledge in the form of understanding of experimental procedures and methodologies (Ryder, Leach & Driver, 1999). However, with larger class sizes, research opportunities can be limited (Hunter, 2007), and a lack of inquiry-based lab programing that parallels traditional lecturing appears to create a gap in students' understanding of research study design, data analysis (Yu & Kuo, 2017) and effective communication of experimental results (Indorf, Weremijewicz, Janos, & Gaines, 2019). ...
In a fourth year undergraduate nutritional toxicology course that included an instructional emphasis on scientific literature critique activities and assessments, we determined the change in students’ (n=144) scientific literacy (SL) skills. The change in students’ perceived and practical SL skills were determined by the completion of two surveys, administered at the start and end of the semester. Additionally, we conducted a follow-up SL survey at the end of the subsequent academic semester (i.e., four months later) to determine if students retained any improvements in their SL skills. Over the semester, students showed improvements in their perceived capabilities of all SL skill parameters assessed (P<0.05); however, the most significant gains were apparent in the areas of i) knowledge application (specifically identifying novel problems or research questions and using new information to address unfamiliar problems or knowledge gaps), and ii) knowledge translation and communication (translating complex information from the scientific literature into clear and understandable terms). There was no change in students TOSLS score between the start and end of the semester (P>0.05). In the follow-up SL survey students showed further improvements in their perceptions of the SL skills for 7 or the 10 parameters assessed compared to the end of the previous semester (P<0.05), however, there remained no change in their practical SL skills assessed using TOSLS. Collectively, these data demonstrate that students’ perceptions of their SL capabilities may not align with their practical capabilities.
... Not all faculty members, regardless of institution type, have interest, support, or encouragement for engaging in this type of teaching (Davis & Jacobsen, 2014;Jones & Davis, 2014). However, it is clear from previous research that undergraduate students who work with a mentor are more successful in and out of the classroom than their peers who do not engage in research (Crowe, M., 2008;Fechheimer et al., 2011;Gregerman et al., 1998;Ishiyama, 2002;Kremer & Bringle, 1990;Lopatto, 2004Lopatto, , 2010. Our case study of a selective group of undergraduate researchers has documented not only how the UR mentoring relationship develops as a relationship, but also how it influences the development of the student as a researcher. ...
Undergraduate research has been documented as yielding valuable student learning outcomes. While the outcomes have been extensively investigated, the development and characteristics of the relationship with the research mentor has received less attention. To better understand how participating in undergraduate research yields substantial benefits to students, we need to elucidate the relationship between students and their research mentors. Using survey and focus group data from a select group of undergraduate researchers at one research university, we investigated the origins of undergraduate research mentoring relationships, the development of those relationships over time, and how the characteristics of the mentoring relationship yielded a shift in identity among the undergraduates. In this case study we found that the meaningful relationships developed between students and their mentors contributed to student development in the form of increased confidence and perceived competency. This competency led to changed expectations of self in the professional sphere, a deeper sense of belonging, and changed expectations for post-graduation.
... A large body of evidence reveals the importance of authentic research experiences for undergraduate education (Kremer and Bringle, 1990;Alexander et al., 1998;Nagda et al., 1998;Zydney et al., 2002;Lopatto, 2004;Russell and Weaver, 2011;Russell, 2005;Kuh, 2008;Laursen et al., 2010;Cartrette and Melroe-Lehrman, 2012), and national calls to reform science education have recommended the incorporation of more research experiences into undergraduate curricula (President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, 2012). Unfortunately, traditional mentored research is often inaccessible to many undergraduate students, particularly those who attend institutions without significant research infrastructure, such as community colleges (e.g., Goedhart and McLaughlin, 2015). ...
Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) are an effective way to expose large numbers of students to authentic research, yet most laboratory courses still use traditional "cookbook" methods. While barriers to using CUREs have been captured postimplementation, little is known about the decision mindset before implementation or what features of CURE design may mitigate perceived barriers. Perception of an innovation (such as a CURE) influences the likelihood of its adoption, and diffusion of innovations theory posits that the decision to adopt is largely influenced by five perceived features of an innovation: relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, observability, and trialability. We conducted interviews with instructors considering using the Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance in the Environment (PARE) project to assess their perceptions of CUREs and motivations for using PARE. Instructors viewed CUREs as having relative advantages over traditional methods; however, CUREs were also viewed as complex, with instructors citing multiple barriers. Instructors were motivated to use PARE because of its potential scientific impact and compatibility with their courses' structures and resources. Instructors perceived PARE to have few barriers to implementation compared with other CUREs. Designing CUREs that address common instructor barriers and drivers could increase the rate of diffusion of CUREs.
... Research experiences encourage excitement about science and/or science careers [2] and provide students with opportunities to be exposed to alternative careers in science, rather than just the medical professions. Unsurprisingly, student researchers also demonstrate increased interest in research careers in science [11,12,15], especially as measured by matriculation in graduate school [16,17]. In addition, several studies have shown that undergraduate research experience promotes critical thinking, communication skills (oral and written), time management skills, and organizational skills, which are translatable to careers both within and outside STEM [1,13,[18][19][20]. ...
In Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), undergraduate research experiences provide students with invaluable opportunities to improve scientific skills. However, less is known about its impact on higher-order thinking skills. Therefore, we sought to determine if engagement in undergraduate research would improve academic performance in students engaged in research compared to those that were not. To accomplish this, biology majors were enrolled in courses that taught research methodology and techniques. Results indicated that students who were selected for the research program outperformed their peers in their other classes during the research program, based on t-test statistics. However, these students had also outperformed their peers during the previous fall semester, prior to receiving additional instruction. Furthermore, students who merely applied for inclusion in the program had significantly higher grades than students who did not apply. In addition, writing samples from research and non-research students were significantly different. Taken together, these data suggest that while undergraduate research may indeed enhance a student’s academic performance and interest in science, a student’s personal interest and drive for research may themselves indicate superior academic performance. Further, science departments aiming to offer research early in their curricula may benefit from such a self-selection strategy, especially in cases where there are limited resources available for undergraduate research.
... The benefits of authentic research experiences are well documented (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8), but these experiences are not accessible to the majority of students (9). Course-based research experiences (CREs) carry many of the same benefits as traditional research (10), yet many instructors struggle to implement this type of course (11). ...
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.
... We chose to examine self-efficacy because of its power to predict actual performance among students (10-12). We chose to measure self-reported project ownership because of prior demonstrated positive outcomes associated with independent research experiences for undergraduates (9,(13)(14)(15). Finally, we provided students with an opportunity to describe in open-ended responses their perceptions of the value of each laboratory experience, and we performed qualitative analyses on these responses. ...
Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) are a type of laboratory learning environment associated with a science course, in which undergraduates participate in novel research. According to Auchincloss et al. (CBE Life Sci Educ 2104; 13:29–40), CUREs are distinct from other laboratory learning environments because they possess five core design components, and while national calls to improve STEM education have led to an increase in CURE programs nationally, less work has specifically focused on which core components are critical to achieving desired student outcomes. Here we use a backward elimination experimental design to test the importance of two CURE components for a population of non-biology majors: the experience of discovery and the production of data broadly relevant to the scientific or local community. We found nonsignificant impacts of either laboratory component on students’ academic performance, science self-efficacy, sense of project ownership, and perceived value of the laboratory experience. Our results challenge the assumption that all core components of CUREs are essential to achieve positive
student outcomes when applied at scale.
... For students from traditionally underrepresented groups, the benefits may be even greater when compared to students from majority groups 11 . For underrepresented students, deep engagement in undergraduate research with a faculty mentor is positively correlated with improvement in student grades, retention rates, persistence to graduation, and motivation to pursue graduate school [18][19][20] . ...
For the past several years, institutions of higher education have devoted resources towards increasing the number and diversity of engineering graduates by addressing the retention problem in the first two years of college. One of the strategies commonly employed in improving undergraduate STEM education is providing students access to research experiences. There are many studies documenting the benefits of research opportunities for undergraduate students
including increased student engagement in their education, enhanced research and laboratory skills, improved academic performance, increased student self-efficacy, and increased understanding and interest for their discipline. These studies also show that early and multiple exposures to undergraduate research experiences offer the greatest benefit. However, a recent extensive study of Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) programs shows that the
vast majority of these research experiences are provided to junior and senior students.
Developing successful research programs is particularly challenging in community colleges, most of which do not have on-going research programs. This paper is a description of how a small engineering transfer program at a Hispanic-Serving community college in California developed a three-tier research internship program suitable for community college students at different stages of their academic careers. The first part of the program is a two-week Winter Research Scholars Program held during the winter break for students in the beginning stages of their studies. The second part is a ten-week Summer Group Research Internship Program for sophomore students who have no previous research experience and have at least one more year of courses to complete at the community college before transfer.
The Summer Individual Research Internship Program is a ten-week program for rising junior students who have completed all the required lower-division courses for transfer to a four-year university and are transferring in the fall semester following their participation in the program.
The paper will highlight the development of partnerships with neighboring universities and research institutions, the results and lessons learned from the pilot implementation of the two
summer internship programs, and future plans to improve the programs and maximize their impact in enhancing the academic success of community college engineering students and strengthening community college engineering transfer programs.
... Furthermore, these studies are limited in that they typically ignore research outside of formal URE programs (Nagda et al. 1998); rely on retrospective accounts of undergraduate experiences (Hathaway et al. 2002); and fail to measure longer-term outcomes, such as scientific-degree attainment, matriculation into a scientific graduate program, or postgraduation scientific workforce participation of URE participants, compared with those of an adequate control group (Nagda et al. 1998, Hathaway et al. 2002, Eagan et al. 2013). In addition, previous studies have not fully demonstrated the salient features of UREs that might enhance these outcomes, although preliminary evidence hints at the importance of the duration (number of semesters or summers in research) and intensity (number of hours of research per week; Kremer andBringle 1990, Carter F et al. 2009) of these experiences. A quantitative investigation of the long-term benefits of UREs, as well as of the key features of UREs, is crucial to establishing their efficacy and maximizing the potential impact of these resource-intensive experiences and is in full alignment with the conclusions of the recent National Academy report that calls for studies that improve the evidence base about the processes and effects of undergraduate research experiences. ...
New data highlight the importance of undergraduate research experiences (UREs) for keeping underrepresented science students on the pathway to a scientific career. We used a large-scale, 10-year, longitudinal, multi-institutional, propensity-score-matched research design to compare the academic performance and persistence in science of students who participated in URE(s) with those of similar students who had no research experience. Our results showed that students who completed 10 or more hours of cocurricular, faculty-mentored research per week across two or more academic semesters or summers were significantly more likely to graduate with a science-related bachelor's degree, to be accepted into a science-related graduate training program, and to be training for or working in the scientific workforce 6 years after graduation. Importantly, the findings show that just having a URE was not enough to influence persistence in science; it required a commitment of 10 or more hours per week over two or more semesters of faculty-mentored research.
... 14 Studies also have shown that students involved in undergraduate research gain self-confidence; 15 are more likely to complete their degrees; 16 and are more likely to go on to graduate school than students who did not have an undergraduate research experience. 17 In an examination of undergraduate research experiences at four liberal arts institutions, Elaine Seymour et al. corroborated a variety of benefits reported in earlier anecdotal reports and smaller studies, as well as shed further light on many of those findings. Benefits fell into seven categories: (1) personal and professional gains; (2) "thinking and working like a scientist"; (3) gains in skills; (4) clarification, confirmation, and refinement of career/ education paths; (5) enhanced career/ graduate school preparation; (6) changes in attitudes toward learning and working as a researcher; and (7) other benefits. ...
Mentored undergraduate research is an emergent pedagogy in higher education. It differs fundamentally from course-related student research and is largely independent of the curriculum. Academic libraries should engage formally with the undergraduate research community. To do so, librarians will need to think and work beyond traditional models of library service, most notably in information literacy programs. The intent of this article is to raise awareness about opportunities for library involvement with undergraduate researchers and programs. Lessons from one university, including a formal partnership between a library and an undergraduate research center, suggest some general strategies that academic libraries might explore.
... Of co-curricular activities, studies have suggested that involving students in undergraduate research promotes their subsequent pursuit of advanced study in STEM fields (Kremer & Bringle, 1990;Lopatto, 2004;Strayhorn, 2010). Because undergraduate research experiences promote research knowledge and skills (Lopatto, 2007;Seymour, Hunter, Laursen, & DeAntoni, 2004), research self-efficacy (Adekokun, Bessenbacher, Parker, Kirkham, & Burgess, 2013), satisfaction with engineering (Bauer & Bennett, 2003;Seymour et al., 2004), and networking and interaction with faculty members (Astin & Astin, 1992;Kardash, 2000), policy makers and educators believe that these experiences help students prepare for graduate education (Boylan, 2009). ...
\textbf{Background.}\textbf{Purpose/hypothesis.}\textbf{Design/method.}\textbf{Results.}\textbf{Conclusions.}$ Our findings support past research emphasizing academic preparedness in STEMfield progression, further corroborating the claim that K–12 math education is a key policy lever. Our findings also indicate distinctive patterns between engineering and non-engineering graduate study in relation to self-assessed skills and co-curricular experiences. This should promote research on which types of preparation during college are needed for different career paths, to develop both teamwork and leadership within the industry.
... In a massive study examining undergraduates from many institutions, Russell (2008) found that participating in research leads to increased knowledge of how to conduct research, greater interest in graduate school, increased confidence in abilities to succeed in graduate school, and finally, greater awareness of career options in research fields. Kremer and Bringle (1990) compared students who had participated in research with students who had not on a number of skills. They found that the students who participated in research were better at performing literature reviews, running statistical analyses, and had better writing skills compared to the students who did not participate. ...
Undergraduate research participant pools play an essential role in facilitating research, and many universities rely on them for participant recruitment. There is an abundance of information about those who do elect to participate in research through these recruitment systems but very little about those who do not. The present study examines both undergraduate research pool participants and nonparticipants, and the objective is to explore how they differ in their views. A sample of 483 Canadian undergraduate students (n = 442 participants and n = 41 nonparticipants) completed measures of their impressions of participation, their perceived enjoyment, and their knowledge gained from participating in research and asked to compare this with their impressions of attending class and taking exams. Factorial analysis of variance and χ² results found support for both similarities and differences between both groups. Overall, the results suggest that nonparticipants do not have a good understanding of what is involved in participating in research activities and view it is a potentially aversive or negative experience.
... Specifically, working with an external faculty mentor during the summer has positive impacts on students' levels of interest in, preparedness for, and actual pursuit of graduate study and professional careers in the sciences (Foertsch et al., 1997;Alexander et al., 2000;Schowen, 2002;Frantz et al., 2006;Gum et al., 2007). Additionally, summer research programs greatly improve students' research skills, knowledge, and research productivity (Kremer and Bringle, 1990;Kardash, 2000;Burnley et al., 2002;Zydney et al., 2002;Lopatto, 2004;Seymour et al., 2004;Gum et al., 2007;Butler et al., 2008). Overall, doing research in the summer is an intensive, enjoyable, and beneficial learning experience for most students (Alexander et al., 2000). ...
In 2014, the National Institutes of Health invested $31 million in 10 primary institutions across the United States through the Building Undergraduate Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) program; one requirement of BUILD is sending undergraduate trainees from those primary institutions to partner institutions for research experiences. Mechanisms like BUILD are designed to broaden research opportunities for students, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds. However, to our knowledge, no studies have examined faculty willingness to mentor undergraduates from other institutions through structured training programs. Survey data from 536 faculty members at 13 institutions were collected in Fall 2013 and analyzed using multiple statistical techniques. Results show that faculty who valued the opportunity to increase diversity in the academy and those who believed that mentoring undergraduates benefited their own research expressed greater willingness to serve as research mentors to visiting undergraduates, and faculty who perceived that they did not have the ability to accommodate additional students expressed less willingness to do so. Most respondents viewed student and faculty incentives as motivating factors in their willingness to mentor, but their perspectives on different types of incentives varied based on faculty career stage, discipline, and research funding status. Results have important implications for designing multi-institutional undergraduate research training programs.
Background
Investments early in the academic pathway are essential to increasing the diversity of the HIV research workforce. Applied mentored research experiences can advance research skills, self-efficacy, and retention in science among scholars considered to be underrepresented minorities.
Setting
The UCSF Center for AIDS Research Scholars Program is a 16-week program that pairs URM undergraduate and masters-level students from San Francisco State University with URM investigators from the UCSF. The program includes one-on-one mentorship on an independent research project, a core-curriculum on research methods and HIV-specific topics, and clinical shadowing.
Methods
We evaluated program outcomes and areas for improvement with preprogram and postprogram survey and qualitative data from scholars and mentors from June to October 2022. Outcomes included interest in HIV research and growth on a 20-item measure of research skills, knowledge, and confidence.
Results
Six URM scholars enrolled in the inaugural cohort and were paired with 6 mentors. Preprogram and postprogram evaluations showed gains in interest in HIV research, 0% preprogram and 100% of scholars postprogram reporting much or extensive interest in HIV research, and gains across all domains from self-confidence, skills, and clarification of a research career path. Qualitative findings noted the importance of peer support and interpersonal features of mentors, including treating them like equals. Areas for improvement included more opportunities for primary data collection and specific training around mentoring undergraduates for mentors.
Conclusions
The UCSF Center for AIDS Research Scholars Program was successful in building foundational skills, knowledge, confidence, and interest in HIV research among URM undergraduates and masters-level students.
Providing infrastructure to support student‐led research teams at research‐extensive universities has been an effective way of dramatically increasing the number of research opportunities available to all undergraduates. While cocurricular, team‐based programs are able to scale‐up and sustain undergraduate research, their ability to promote participation in the STEM research workforce has not been firmly established. The present work has therefore aimed to characterize the types of undergraduates who get involved in these programs and the team structures that predict their decision to pursue a research‐oriented career. Surveys were used to collect data on undergraduates' vocational identity beliefs, team leader qualities, and the time spent doing research with a faculty‐mentor and other team members. Cluster analysis of survey data (n = 407) revealed that those with relatively high levels of career exploration formed a majority of participants in this community. Logistic modeling predicted that these undergraduates are more likely than others to pursue research careers after a semester of team‐based research. Cross‐discipline interactions between team members and team leaders also predicted career goal change. For Hispanic students, participating in student‐led, faculty‐mentored research teams had mixed effects. When spending 4 h/week or more working with others team members, Hispanic team members were found to be more likely than non‐Hispanic students to pursue a research career. Hispanic students, however, were less likely to report career goal changes when working with faculty mentors who were mainly non‐Hispanic. Implications for designing undergraduate research programs to amplify and diversify the STEM workforce are also discussed.
There are several institutions of higher learning in the United States that award degrees in public health to undergraduate students. While these institutions serve as potential pipelines for the public health workforce, it is unclear if the curricula and training students receive from these institutions, really prepare them for the public health workforce or higher education. The questions sometimes asked are whether the programs offered by these institutions exist to provide students with a good understanding of public health issues so they can become good citizens for building a responsible society, or if it is to prepare students for graduate school. Regardless of what the goals are, students in undergraduate public health programs need to be exposed to curricula that adequately prepare them to enter well-defined careers in public health. Thus, institutions of higher learning offering degrees in public health to undergraduate students need to understand the market, assess, and understand the needs of public health agencies, and tailor course curricula to match those needs. Georgia State University established its undergraduate public health program in 2016. Since then, over 200 students have graduated from the program. The purpose of the study was to assess student perception of the role of high impact educational practices such as study abroad, signature experience, and undergraduate research curricula in preparing them for careers in public health.
Purpose
In this tutorial, we describe the initiation and implementation of a recently developed PhD Student–Mediated Mentorship Model (PS-MMM) used within our lab. In a PS-MMM, PhD students mentor graduate and undergraduate students under the direction of a faculty advisor. The model aims to address the PhD shortage by (a) teaching PhD students to be research mentors to facilitate their success in the early career years and (b) encouraging clinical graduate students to transition into and be successful in research doctoral training. As a third objective, we aim to address the research–practice gap by increasing the research experiences available to undergraduate and clinical graduate students through implementation of a PS-MMM. We provide a step-by-step outline and case examples for initiating and scaling up a PS-MMM.
Conclusions
Implementation of a PS-MMM has led to consistent, positive benefits for mentees and mentors within our lab. The observed benefits, feasibility, and flexibility of our PS-MMM support more widespread use of PS-MMMs within other communication sciences and disorders programs.
With the need to increase minority representation in the polar sciences, a team of researchers from a southwestern United States public university developed an innovative field research experience entitled the International Polar Year-Research and Educational Opportunities in Antarctica for Minorities (IPY-ROAM). Supported by a National Science Foundation grant, 28 participants completed a semester-long online course and performed field research in Antarctica within the areas of aquatic ecology, terrestrial biology, physical science, ecotourism, and education. This article reports outcomes that individuals experienced through participation in IPY-ROAM as related to their educational and career aspirations. Two outcome areas explored are the participants' self-reported career competencies and their professional and academic goals. This study examines the benefits, as perceived by students, of performing hands-on research in field-based settings. Data generated from this program may serve as a means to justify further investment in field research programs for students in Antarctica and the Arctic.
Research is a requisite for most of the undergraduate honors degrees offered by universities worldwide and these undergraduates are expected to submit a dissertation based on their research. Given the new demands of this independent component of learning, it is important to understand the challenges faced by students and the strategies that they employ in successfully navigating the various components of this process. This knowledge is useful to mentors and course developers as it provides insights about the firsthand experience of the students. The present study used a qualitative research design to investigate the research experience of a purposive sample of undergraduates who completed their Bachelor of Arts Honors in English and English Language Teaching in an open and distance university in Sri Lanka in the academic year 2017/2018. The responses from 12 undergraduates in the form of written stories were coded and analyzed thematically. The study revealed areas which need attention by mentors, faculty, and universities, especially those in open and distance contexts, when providing support to novice researchers.
This study reformulates social cognitive career theory by going beyond the conventional emphasis on self-efficacy to provide new insight into the multiple socio-cognitive motivation predictors of STEM persistence plans among Women of Color (African American and Latina). Building on expectancy-value and role-strain theories, a reformulated socio-cognitive career model (RSCCM) was developed to better understand pivotal motivational factors that empower some Women of Color, despite facing systemic barriers, to persist in their undergraduate STEM majors, pursue Ph.D. degrees and plan STEM research careers. This theory-driven study makes unique contributions to existing higher education literature on college persistence by further clarifying multiple socio-cognitive motivation predictors of STEM persistence plans among Women of Color during the undergraduate-to-graduate studies transition. Based on a larger NIH-NIGMS funded study, multiple regression analyses were conducted on panel survey data from 179 Women of Color who applied to the Summer Research Opportunity Program (SROP) at 14 major universities affiliated with the Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA). Guided by the RSCCM, several hypotheses were tested to explore the role of STEM self-efficacy, STEM outcome expectancies, perceived STEM talents, STEM intervention-based appraisals, and perceived barriers and supports on STEM persistence plans. Findings indicate that in addition to self-efficacy, path-goal outcome expectations, strong faculty mentoring and perceived STEM talents were significant predictors of higher STEM persistence plans. Surprisingly, perceived discrimination was associated with higher rather than lower STEM persistence plans, and also moderated the relationship between self-efficacy and STEM persistence plans. The RSCCM and related study findings have important implications for theory, research and practice. First, RSCCM findings have theoretical significance for better understanding the multiple sources of motivation in STEM persistence decisions among Women of Color, especially during advanced stages of career development. Second, findings have important implications for future research to further clarify RSCCM propositions on larger and more diverse samples. Finally, RSCCM findings have policy relevance for informing strengths-based strategies that promote STEM persistence among Women of Color by reinforcing the multiple socio-cognitive motivational strengths that they bring to the BTAA-SROP and other pipeline intervention settings.
This paper describes an innovative and replicable approach to teaching qualitative research through archived oral histories. Undergraduates with no research experience were able to pursue individual research questions and prepare a public conference presentation within one semester. In so doing, this approach overcame the barrier of a shortened timeframe for social sciences research involving human subjects. Each student learned how to a) manage the audio files and transcripts, b) code the transcripts, c) identify themes, and d) present their findings in a poster presentation suitable for a research symposium. Each project pursued a research question relevant to the student's career goals. Tailoring the projects in this way produced an experience that was engaging, valuable, and relevant to each student. Readers will learn the scaffolded pedagogy we adopted and uncover oral history collections for their own use.
This article reports on the implementation of a CURE project in an upper-level analytical chemistry course to engage a larger number of students in research at a primarily undergraduate institution (PUI). The lab course syllabus was modified to provide students with an opportunity to experience the process of conducting research through a project that was relevant to them personally and the community at large. Students carried out research using microwave plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (MPAES) to correlate lead levels in soil with home location, source, and age. Students' self-assessment and surveys suggest that implementing a research project that students can relate to leads to an increased level of mastering analytical skills and demonstration of a higher level of critical-thinking skills. Participation in the CURE project increased a desire and a commitment to engage in independent research and in communicating science through presentations.
This chapter discusses the impact of undergraduate research as a form of engaged student learning. It summarizes the gains reported in post-fellowship assessment essays acquired from students participating in the Auburn University Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program. The chapter also discusses the program's efforts to increase opportunities for students to engage in undergraduate research in the context of challenges faced by public research universities.
Background
Increasing human resources in engineering is a key concern for the United States. While some research has considered pathways to doctoral study, there is no clear empirical evidence on the role of undergraduate experiences in motivating engineers to continue to graduate school, both in engineering programs and more broadly.
Purpose/Hypothesis
We investigated three influences on engineers’ decisions to enter graduate school: mathematics proficiency, self‐assessments of engineering skills, and co‐curricular experiences.
Design/method
Using data from 1,119 engineers, we developed a hierarchical multinomial logistic model to examine engineers’ graduate school enrollment patterns.
Results
Math proficiency, participation in undergraduate research, and self‐assessed leadership skills are significant positive predictors of attendance in an engineering graduate program, although self‐assessed teamwork skills are a negative predictor. For attendance in a nonengineering graduate school program, math proficiency, nonengineering community volunteer work, and engineering clubs were positive predictors, but none of the self‐assessed skills were significant predictors.
Conclusions
Our findings support past research that emphasized academic preparedness in mathematics, and further corroborate the claim that K–12 math education is a key policy lever to the engineering pipeline from undergraduate to graduate education. Our findings also indicate differences between engineering and nonengineering graduate study in relation to self‐assessed skills and co‐curricular experiences. Future research is needed on which types of preparation during college are needed for graduate school choice.
As the need for qualified science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates increases, there is an accompanying need for improved undergraduate STEM education. Undergraduate Research Experiences (UREs) have been shown to enhance an undergraduate student's academic experience; however, not all students can participate in or have access to UREs due to schedule constraints during the school year or other commitments in the summer. Our current research project seeks to determine how students develop a researcher identity and transform their epistemic beliefs through UREs. Elements identified to contribute to students' researcher identities and epistemic beliefs will then be translated into strategies that can be incorporated into traditional learning environments. This paper will overview the progress made in the first part of this multi-phase, multi-institution project and preliminary results from the initial surveys.
Article Mentored undergraduate research is an emergent pedagogy in higher education. It differs fundamentally from course-related student research and is largely independent of the curriculum. Academic libraries should engage formally with the undergraduate research community. To do so, librarians will need to think and work beyond traditional models of library service, most notably in information literacy programs. The intent of this article is to raise awareness about opportunities for library involvement with undergraduate researchers and programs. Lessons from one university, including a formal partnership between a library and an undergraduate research center, suggest some general strategies that academic libraries might explore.
This study asks whether criminal justice students are more or less likely to utilize library resources to complete research assignments compared to their peers, and subsequently, whether they perceive the effectiveness of those resources differently. To do so, survey data from nearly 300 students from a mid-sized university in the northeastern United States are analyzed. The results indicate that criminal justice students are not more or less likely to utilize resources from the university library compared to their peers but that criminal justice students feel that services from librarians are less effective than do non-criminal justice students.
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