Course-Based Undergraduate Research

Educational Equity and High-Impact Practice

Nancy H. Hensel, Nancy H. Hensel

• Publisher: Stylus Publishing
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9781620367827
• Topic: Pedagogía
• Subtopic: Educación superior

Co-published with the Council on Undergraduate Research Undergraduate research has long been recognized as a high-impact practice (HIP), but has unfortunately been offered only to juniors and seniors, and to very few of them (often in summer programs). This book shows how to engage students in authentic research experiences, built into the design of courses in the first two years, thus making the experience available to a much greater number of students.Research that is embedded in a course, especially general education courses, addresses the issue of how to expand undergraduate research to all students. Research has shown that students who have early experiences in undergraduate research are more likely to pursue further research prior to and after graduation. This is also an issue of social justice because it makes the benefits of undergraduate research available to students who must work during the academic year and in the summer. It is widely accepted that the skills developed through undergraduate research help prepare students for their future careers.The book addresses all aspects of the topic, including: - What are appropriate expectations for research in the first two years
- How to design appropriate course-based research for first- and second-year students
- How to mentor a class rather than individual students
- How students can disseminate the results of their research
- Possible citizen-science projects appropriate for the first and second years
- Providing additional resources available to support course-based research in the first two yearsDesigned for faculty at four-year and two-year colleges – and including examples from the sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities – the strategies and methods described can be adapted to disciplines not specifically mentioned in the book.Many faculty are hesitant to engage first and second year students in undergraduate research because they worry students don't know enough to conduct authentic research in their discipline, because they worry about the time it will take to develop activities for these students, and because they wonder how they can mentor a whole class of students doing research. The authors have successfully dealt with these issues, and provide examples of how it's done.

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CRAZY OBSERVATIONS, AUDACIOUS QUESTIONS

Nancy H. Hensel

Making a discovery, whether in the laboratory or library archives, about something that no one else in the world knows at a particular time is a heady experience for an undergraduate student. College students who have the opportunity to participate in undergraduate research can experience this thrill of discovery. They may identify a new bacterial strain, make a connection between previously separate concepts, or uncover long-forgotten archival documents that lead to a new understanding of an issue. Nearly every U.S. college and university includes undergraduate research experiences in the learning opportunities offered to students. Institutions of higher education of all types are implementing a number of creative approaches to facilitate innovation, problem-solving, and discovery. They see undergraduate research as a critical vehicle for achieving these objectives.

Benefits of Undergraduate Research

Numerous studies have indicated that undergraduate research benefits individuals, institutions, and society. Many researchers (Harrison, Dunbar, Ratmansky, Boyed, & Lopatto, 2011; Hunter, Laursen, & Seymour, 2007; Lopatto, 2003, 2010; Nagda, Gregerman, Jonides, von Hippel, & Lerner, 1998; Russell, Hancock, & McCullough, 2007; Seymour, Hunter, Laursen, & DeAntoni, 2004) have described the following benefits to students who participate in an undergraduate research experience:

• Learning a topic in depth

• Learning to work independently

• Building tolerance for obstacles faced in the research process

• Transforming the student/teacher relationship

• Developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills

• Developing self-confidence

• Clarifying career goals

• Improving oral and written skills

These benefits are in close alignment with skills identified by employers surveyed by Hart Research Associates (2013) for the Association of American Colleges & Universities.

Course-Based Research

Course-based research is the inclusion of research projects in the curriculum, and it expands research opportunities to all students. The focus of this book is course-based research in the first two years of college across all disciplines. Course-based research (including scholarship and creative activity) in the first two years typically includes the following criteria:

• Research is embedded into the course curriculum.

• All students engage in the research project.

• Students work collaboratively on the project.

• Research projects introduce students to the research methodology of the discipline.

• Outcomes of the research are unknown.

• Student outcomes of the research are communicated in some manner.

Exposing students to research in the first two years of their undergraduate education has been shown to be effective in increasing retention of students in science, technology, engineering, and math majors and careers. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2015) found the following:

• Course-based research can provide many benefits for students from first year to senior year and also to underrepresented students.

• Many faculty members are not familiar with course-based research or are not aware of local and national models that already exist.

• Well-designed course-based research projects use many of the “best practices” identified by pedagogical research. (pp. 7–8)

Students will benefit from an early introduction to research by learning to think critically about existing knowledge, developing the ability to ask researchable questions, exploring possible solutions, and using evidence as they analyze the results of their work. Developing these skills can and should begin in the first year of college, and all students should have the opportunity to engage in undergraduate research.

Course-Based Research for Educational Equity

The traditional approach to undergraduate research is for a few students, typically juniors or seniors, to work closely with a professor on a research project outside of class in the academic year or over the summer. Students who participate in summer research projects or have the opportunity to work closely with a professor in what is often called the “apprentice model” are more likely to receive the benefits of undergraduate research than students who do not have the opportunity for such experiences. Colleges and universities do not have sufficient personnel to engage every student in research using the apprentice model. The only way to provide all students with an undergraduate research experience is to embed research into the curriculum through course-based research.

Ensuring that all students have the opportunity to engage in undergraduate research is an issue of educational equity. In their report, “Separate and Unequal: How Higher Education Reinforces the Intergenerational Reproduction of White Privilege,” Carnevale and Strohl (2013) suggest that although access to higher education has improved, pedagogy has not changed to be sufficiently inclusive for first-generation and underrepresented students. The traditional approach to undergraduate research assumes that students have the time and financial resources to engage in research outside of class and in the summer. Many do not. In addition to financial constraints, Bangera and Brownell (2014) suggest that first-generation students may not be aware of potential educational and career advantages of undergraduate research. First-generation students may not understand academic culture and how to access faculty and support services. Pyles and Levy (2009) found that students at East Tennessee State University were intimidated by the idea of research. They suggest that early exposure to research can “demystify” research and help students to clarify their interests and see themselves as researchers and scholars. The inequities of the traditional approach to undergraduate research can be addressed by course-based research.

Challenges of Course-Based Research

Implementing course-based research is not easy. There are logistical and attitudinal challenges in developing a successful course-based research program. Brownell and Tanner (2012) suggest that, in addition to lack of training, time, and incentives as barriers to pedagogical change, a scientist’s professional identity as a researcher rather than as a teacher might be a hidden barrier. Reframing the concept of undergraduate research from the apprentice model to a concept that includes working with a whole class and seeing the acquisition of research skills as a developmental process is needed for course-based research. Adapting authentic research to the developmental needs of first-year students is a demanding endeavor. Course-based research requires significant planning time and knowledge about how students learn. It is essential to identify a project that is appropriate for the developmental level of first- and second-year students and introduces students to the research methodology of professionals in the field. Resource issues must also be considered in course-based research. Successfully replicable course-based science projects use materials that are inexpensive, readily available, and straightforward to train students to use. Social science research must be scalable in terms of numbers of subjects and complexity of the statistical design. Humanities research projects must have access to appropriate archives and other resources.

The logistical challenges of time, curricular design, and identification of projects and tools can be supported by a network of colleagues who are also implementing course-based research. Lopatto and colleagues (2012) found that a major barrier to implementing course-based research was the lack of colleague support. Course-based research is more likely to be successful when it fits within the curriculum of the department or college. Implementing course-based research across the general education program can provide a supportive campus network. A community of practice network provides support for troubleshooting, sharing information about pedagogy and use of resources, obtainining technical support, and accessing the expertise of others in the network. It also provides opportunities to share curricular ideas and pedagogy for short-term projects.

Developing Course-Based Research for the First Two Years

What would research in the first year look like? A good place to begin is to look at what aspects of the research process might be appropriate for first-year students. Some elements of research are common to all disciplines and can be integrated into first- and second-year courses. Some of these common elements, although implicitly part of research, may not be explicitly taught. Observing, questioning, making connections, and using evidence are examples of essential research and life skills that may not be explicitly part of the instructional process.

Observing

“All research starts with one crazy observation,” said Tom and Ray Magliozzi, also known as the Tappet Brothers, who hosted the National Public Radio program, Car Talk. Research does begin with observation and a sense of curiosity and asking questions. Good researchers are skillful observers. In 1854, Louis Pasteur said, “Chance favors only the prepared mind” (in Beveridge, 1957). In his 1957 book, The Art of Scientific Investigation, Beveridge describes observation as an active mental process.

John Stilgoe, Harvard professor of landscape history, takes his students on walks, encouraging them to engage in what he calls “acute observation” (Gibson, 2016) where they begin to notice things in their environment that may have been previously overlooked.

Amy Herman (2016), an expert in visual perception, takes her clients to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to increase their observation skills by looking carefully at paintings and describing what they see. She has taught doctors to become better observers of their patients and police to be more meticulous observers of crime scenes.

Success in other areas can also be enhanced by strong observation skills. Constantin Stanislavski (1989), author of several books on acting, suggested that actors should carefully observe things in daily life and then create imaginary backgrounds for what they saw. Remembering the observation can be used to bring forth the emotions of a character they might be portraying. Anne Lamott (1994), a best-selling author, talks about the importance of observation for writers. She urges writers to carry a notebook at all times and to sometimes just sit and observe what is going on around them. She suggests that it is the observation of details that gives life to fiction writing. Leonard and Rayport (1997), Harvard business professors, talk about the importance of observation in a product development strategy called empathic design. By observing how customers use and adapt products, product developers can improve their company’s products.

Jennifer Landin (2015), assistant professor of biology at North Carolina State University, incorporates drawing into her biology courses because strong observation skills are crucial for research. She suggests that drawing enhances biological knowledge and helps students to focus more carefully on the details of the species they are studying and to look at objects without bias.

The ability to focus carefully and intensively is an important skill for scholars as well as professionals in any field. Deeper learning is more likely to occur when students have “prepared minds” developed from the active mental process of acute observations.

When Stilgoe (1998) takes his students for walks, their acute observations often lead to questions. For example, one group noticed an apparent shift in iron founding from Worcester to Pittsburgh when they looked at the dates on fire hydrants, questioning, “Why did this happen?”

Questioning

“Research is about the audacity of the question,” according to Andrew Velkey, former director of undergraduate research at Christopher Newport University (personal communication, October 14, 2010). The ability to frame a researchable question is a fundamental skill for undergraduate research. Students often need assistance in learning how to ask good and possibly audacious questions.

Asking a question suggests that something is unknown and it is curiosity about the unknown that drives research. Students’ questions are frequently not about the unknown but rather a question that can easily be answered by a Google search. Asking probing questions that encourage analysis, speculation, and creative thinking is a skill that can be developed. Warren Berger (2014), author of A More Beautiful Question, defines the type of question that we want our students to ask as “an ambitious yet actionable question that can begin to shift the way we perceive or think about something—and that might act as a catalyst to bring about change” (p. 8).

Teaching students how to ask actionable questions is a valuable pedagogical objective. Matthew Bowker (2010) uses a question-centered pedagogy in his courses that he believes helps students to “understand how the answers we have come to accept are co...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Praise for Course-Based Undergraduate Research
• Half-title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Foreword
• 1 Crazy Observations, Audacious Questions
• 2 Comgen: Developing the Pedagogy for Classroom-Based Undergraduate Research Experience Courses
• 3 Starting the Research Process With Information Literacy in Introductory-Level Earth Science Courses
• 4 Editing the Public Domain With Undergraduate Students: Studying Literature With Collaborative Annotation and Digital Publication
• 5 A High-Throughput Model for Course-Based Research Experiences for the First Two Years of Chemistry and Biology
• 6 Research Strategies in Theater Studies
• 7 Learning That Lasts: Action Research in the Classroom
• 8 Diving Into Research at the Ocean Research College Academy
• 9 Experience Is Education
• 10 Using Mystery to Encourage Undergraduate Historical Research
• 11 Implementing a Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience in an Introductory Biology Course
• 12 Course-Based Research in Introductory Psychological Science
• 13 DNA Barcoding Undergraduate Research Tool Can Be Scaled From Traditional to Course-Based Research Project with Ease
• 14 Student Outcomes and Impacts of Discovery-Based Research in the First Two Years of Undergraduate Education
• 15 Undergraduate Research and Applied Business Statistics
• 16 PRIDE in the College Experience Course
• 17 Course-Embedded Research in the Lower Division at Montana State University
• 18 Course-Based Research Mentoring
• About the Contributors
• Index
• Backcover