Audience:
Overview
The Council on Undergraduate Research describes undergraduate research as scholarly work that “makes original intellectual or creative contributions to the discipline.” Benefits of undergraduate research include enhanced learning, increased retention, increased graduate enrollment rates, career preparation, and development of problem-solving skills. A few example undergraduate integration methods are provided here, as well as a larger list of resources further below.
Example Cases of Expanding Undergraduate Research Opportunities
Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CURE) in Conservation and Ecology
The authors utilized student out-of-class field-work time to expand research areas. The resulting data allowed them to refine species distribution models and facilitate management decisions. Student work contributed to the students’ own research projects as well as to the larger study. Students reported an advancement in their understanding of the research process, showed science skill gains, had a clearer picture of their professional intentions, and a greater ability and willingness to discuss conservation issues with family and friends.
CURE Structured at Different Levels of Inquiry, a Case Study in Biology
The authors implemented three types of CUREs into three undergraduate biology course, with varying levels of teacher and student responsibilities. In one course, students conducted research as part of the instructor’s ongoing research. In another course, the students were provided with the hypothesis and methodology. In the third course, students designed and implemented their own research, framed within the course scope. All CUREs had positive outcomes, but outcomes varied by CURE implementation.
Cross-course CURE Collaborations in Ecology and Biology
Undergraduate Ecology and Cell Biology lab courses combine different components of a CURE to inform an integrative study. Students in experiment groups showed improved content knowledge. Student-generated data was used for individual class research projects and also contributed to a larger data collection.
Undergraduate Research Incorporated into a Health Education Capstone
At UW-River Falls, senior health education students learn about the research process, plan research projects, go through IRB approval, collect data, and present research results through poster sessions.
C.R.E.A.T.E.
“The C.R.E.A.T.E.(Consider, Read, Elucidate the hypotheses, Analyze and interpret the data, and Think of the next Experiment) method is a teaching approach that uses intensive analysis of primary literature to demystify and humanize research science for undergraduates. Our goal is to use the real language of science—the journal article—as an inroad to understanding “who does science, how, and why?” At the same time, we wish to help students (1) experience authentic processes of science, in particular discussion/debate about experimental data and their interpretation (including ‘grey areas’), (2) recognize the creativity and open-ended nature of research, and (3)see the diversity of people who undertake research careers (i.e. not just the genius/geeks of popular culture). As a complement to teaching based on textbooks, which tend to over simplify the research process, C.R.E.A.T.E. teaching focuses on authentic published work—peer reviewed journal articles—with students reading either series of papers produced sequentially from individual labs or series of papers from different labs focused on a single line of research.”
Faculty Perspectives on Developing and Leading CUREs
Authors collected faculty feedback on the benefits and challenges they experienced when leading CURE courses. Additionally, the faculty respondents provided their insights into what made a person a good fit to lead CURE courses.
Institutional Implementations
“CUREnet at Carleton College.” https://serc.carleton.edu/curenet/index.html.
“FIRE: The First-Year Innovation & Research Experience @ UMD.” https://fire.umd.edu/streams-DBN.html.
“UT Freshman Research Iniative – Research Streams.” https://cns.utexas.edu/component/cobalt/items/5-research-streams?Itemid=1971.
Who to contact for help:
Additional Resources
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Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance 84, no. 9 (November 1, 2013): 32–36.
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Al-Maktoumi, Ali, Said Al-Ismaily, and Anvar Kacimov. “Research-Based Learning for Undergraduate Students in Soil and Water Sciences: A Case Study of Hydropedology in an Arid-Zone Environment.”
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