Assessment of Course-Based Research Modules Based on Faculty Research in Introductory Biology

Abstract

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.

A Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience Improves Outcomes in Mentored Research

“…Although the use of MR-derived activities in a CURE is not novel ( Walcott et al. , 2018 ; Cole et al. , 2021 ), the level of diversity attained in BIOS is a significant departure from most prior designs, which have typically focused on only one or a small number of related topics, with learners seldom given choices about what they will experience ( Kloser et al.…”

Developmental Trajectories of Student Self-Perception over a Yearlong Introductory Biology Sequence

“…The labs met weekly for a single 180-minute lab period. The labs consisted of hands-on experiments and analyses, with the first semester focusing on experimental design and the second semester focusing on authentic research projects based on faculty research ( Cole et al. , 2021 ).…”

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

“…Modular network CUREs provide a suite of independent classroom modules that allow instructors to provide students with a taste of authentic research through a brief CURE over two to three laboratory sessions or through full semester-long projects [e.g., references ( 21 – 27 )]. Short-duration CUREs with one or more modules may lower implementation barriers ( 28 – 31 ) and provide some of the gains associated with long-duration CUREs ( 13 , 27 , 32 – 34 ).…”

“…Some multi-institution CUREs have published results of perceived (e.g., self-reported) or objective student outcomes at a single institution [e.g., references ( 34 – 38 )], while other network CUREs have reported student perception of outcomes across multiple institutions [e.g., references ( 13 , 39 – 48 )]. In a literature search, we were able to identify only five multi-institution CUREs that have measured objective outcomes of student learning across multiple institutions with a focus on semester-long implementation.…”