A Call to Assess the Impacts of Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences for Career and Technical Education, Allied Health, and Underrepresented Students at Community Colleges

Leonetti, Cori T; Lindberg, Heather M; Schwake, David Otto; Cotter, Robin L.

doi:10.1187/cbe.21-11-0318

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 95 publications

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“…The resulting instrument provides a classroom tool for network instructors and may bolster adoption through access to published efficacy data. The resulting assessment tool and data set have value for those instructors considering adoption in the current education landscape ( 19 ), especially at community colleges with rigid curriculum requirements or in settings where administrative support may be a barrier ( 30 , 56 , 57 ). Having a validated CURE-specific instrument fills the void where generalized instruments that measure presumed short-term outcomes, such as developing hypotheses, designing experiments, or project ownership ( 11 , 58 – 62 ), may not be suitable for a single module CURE experience.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A framework for leveraging network course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) faculty to develop, validate, and administer an assessment instrument

Kleinschmit,

Genné-Bacon,

Drace

et al. 2024

J Microbiol Biol Educ.

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Over the last several years, nationally disseminated course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) have emerged as an alternative to developing a novel CURE from scratch, but objective assessment of these multi-institution (network) CUREs across institutions is challenging due to differences in student populations, instructors, and fidelity of implementation. The time, money, and skills required to develop and validate a CURE-specific assessment instrument can be prohibitive. Here, we describe a co-design process for assessing a network CURE [the Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance in the Environment (PARE)] that did not require support through external funding, was a relatively low time commitment for participating instructors, and resulted in a validated instrument that is usable across diverse PARE network institution types and implementation styles. Data collection efforts have involved over two dozen unique institutions, 42 course offerings, and over 1,300 pre-/post-matched assessment record data points. We demonstrated significant student learning gains but with small effect size in both content and science process skills after participation in the two laboratory sessions associated with the core PARE module. These results show promise for the efficacy of short-duration CUREs, an educational research area ripe for further investigation, and may support efforts to lower barriers for instructor adoption by leveraging a CURE network for developing and validating assessment tools.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A framework for leveraging network course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) faculty to develop, validate, and administer an assessment instrument

Kleinschmit,

Genné-Bacon,

Drace

et al. 2024

J Microbiol Biol Educ.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Furthermore, undergraduate research assists in clarifying career goals, preparing students for advanced studies or chemical industry roles. These experiences strengthen students’ competitiveness for scholarships, internships, and jobs, showcasing dedication and practical skills in their field. − Consequently, lack of undergraduate research experience during the first two years of college can be disadvantageous for community college students when they transition to their next educational destinations. , …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Summer Research Program for Community College Students Led by Graduate Students at the University of Washington

Nguyen,

Miura-Stempel,

Morrison

et al. 2024

J. Chem. Educ.

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Chemistry students at community colleges often experience a lack of hands-on research opportunities, which can be a significant disadvantage when they transition to four-year universities. To address this, the Summer Chemistry Research Opportunities for Community College Students (SCROCCS) was established in 2022 by graduate students at the University of Washington to provide early chemical research exposure to community college students in the Greater Puget Sound area. SCROCCS has two primary goals: (1) to provide participating students with research experience and skills crucial for their success in chemistry and related STEM fields, and (2) to offer leadership opportunities for graduate students at host universities. SCROCCS shows promise in improving the readiness of community college students for research-focused universities, thereby enhancing their academic and career trajectories. This paper presents the design, execution, evaluation, and results of SCROCCS over its first two years. The findings indicate significant benefits for participants as they transferred to four-year universities. With its successful design and implementation, SCROCCS is considered replicable at other institutions, demonstrating a pathway to increase equity and inclusion in the chemical sciences nationally.

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An Online CURE Taught at a Community College During the Pandemic Shows Mixed Results for Development of Research Self-Efficacy and In-class Relationships

Dunbar-Wallis,

Katcher,

Moore

et al. 2023

J Sci Educ Technol

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The Bee the CURE is a novel course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) that engages introductory biology students in DNA barcoding (DNA extraction, amplification, and bioinformatics) in partnership with the Tucson Bee Collaborative and the University of Arizona. The first iteration of this CURE taught at Pima Community College (PCC) occurred during the Fall 2020 semester in which the course was taught online and students focused on bioinformatics. Due to the online format, students were unable to participate directly in the wet-lab components (extraction and amplification) of the course. These were approximated with videos of the instructor performing the tasks. A qualitative case study of this semester built from student interviews found that students were able to form positive relationships with instructors and peer mentors but that the online format of the class posed some challenges to relationship formation. Students reported developing self-efficacy in bioinformatics skills while online lab participation disrupted student’s gaining “hands-on experiences” and seldom led to development of science self-efficacy in wet lab skills. Our findings from a study of a synchronous online CURE allowed us to characterize a context in which online learning posed a challenge and perhaps even a threat to research self-efficacy, especially regarding skill development and self-efficacy in “hands-on” areas, such as wet-bench research skills. Yet optimistically, our study highlights the potential of online community college learning environments to provide mastery experiences in online science contexts (e.g., bioinformatics) and opportunities for relationship building.

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A Call to Assess the Impacts of Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences for Career and Technical Education, Allied Health, and Underrepresented Students at Community Colleges

Cited by 4 publications

References 95 publications

A framework for leveraging network course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) faculty to develop, validate, and administer an assessment instrument

A framework for leveraging network course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) faculty to develop, validate, and administer an assessment instrument

A Summer Research Program for Community College Students Led by Graduate Students at the University of Washington

An Online CURE Taught at a Community College During the Pandemic Shows Mixed Results for Development of Research Self-Efficacy and In-class Relationships

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