Course‐based undergraduate research experiences (CURES) as a pathway to diversify science

Teng

Biochem Molecular Bio Educ

et al. 2022

Medical research is important to scientific progress and medical education.Institutions worldwide have sought to increase student involvement in research such as clinician-scientists training programs, while little is known about how medical undergraduates perceive research. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China, with first-fourth year undergraduates. An online, anonymous, and self-rating 5-point Likert questionnaire was conducted to investigate medical undergraduates' demographic characteristics and assess motivation, self-efficacy, perception, curiosity, and barriers regarding medical research. Content validity was checked with experts and face validity was checked for clarity and understanding of the questionnaire. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the questions ranged from 0.813 to 0.879. A total of 3273 medical undergraduates were surveyed, and 86.62% (2835) participants (male 962, female 1873) were identified as effective. Males scored higher than females on self-efficacy (p < 0.001), perception (p = 0.017), and curiosity (p < 0.001), and lower on barriers (p < 0.001). The second year students are at the peak of their perception (p = 0.006) and lowest barrier scores (p = 0.003). Students with scientific research experience scored higher in motivation (p = 0.002), self-efficacy (p < 0.001), perception (p < 0.001), and curiosity (p < 0.001). Lack of proper mentoring opportunity (86.2%) and knowledge (84.5%) were the main barriers in conducting research. Even though they have a positive perspective, only a few undergraduates enrolled in research. Medical universities should

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Motivation, self‐efficacy, perception, curiosity, and barriers toward medical research among undergraduates in China

Teng

Biochem Molecular Bio Educ

et al. 2022

“…Participation in a CURE early in a student's undergraduate career is a wonderful way to break down barriers and assist students who identify as female, first-generation, or part of a historically excluded group to participate in subsequent individualized research experiences [31]. These experiences often launch students into more long-term research experiences [32], and they generally lack social stigma associated with research programs that are labeled as minority-serving [33].…”

Section: Cures and Field Experiencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Two Sides of the Same Coin”: Benefits of Science–Art Collaboration and Field Immersion for Undergraduate Research Experiences

Sandrin,

Ball,

Arora

2024

Education Sciences

This study examined how incorporating art into an upper-level undergraduate field-based ecology research course influenced students’ communication and collaboration skills, their career goals, and how they conceptualized the scientific method. Student pairs designed an independent research study that used artwork and a scientific research poster to disseminate their findings at an end-of-term exhibit. Students enrolled in either a local or a (subsidized) travel abroad section of the course. Students in both sections found new or deeper connections between art and science, developed a more sophisticated understanding of the science method, became more confident with their science skills, and reported an expanded perspective on their future careers (often including field work and a wider geographic job search). Science–art student teams indicated they wanted more opportunities for collaborative work in the future, and that their final products were more professional due to their collaborations, as compared to science–science teams. Additionally, the travel abroad students benefitted from experiencing new ecosystems and cultures, from working with science and art professionals from other countries, and from working in an isolated field station without distractions.

“…CURE participation positively impacts science education in several ways. In comparison with traditional apprenticeships, CUREs not only reach more students, but also represent a more inclusive approach to research ( 6 , 14 ). Student participation in CUREs has been shown to enhance critical thinking skills ( 13 , 15 ), increase learning gains, bolster scientific identity ( 16 , 17 ), and increase interest in science and scientific research ( 18 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fly-CURE, a multi-institutional CURE using Drosophila , increases students' confidence, sense of belonging, and persistence in research

Merkle,

Devergne,

Kelly

et al. 2023

J Microbiol Biol Educ.

The Fly-CURE is a genetics-focused multi-institutional Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) that provides undergraduate students with hands-on research experiences within a course. Through the Fly-CURE, undergraduate students at diverse types of higher education institutions across the United States map and characterize novel mutants isolated from a genetic screen in Drosophila melanogaster . To date, more than 20 mutants have been studied across 20 institutions, and our scientific data have led to eleven publications with more than 500 students as authors. To evaluate the impact of the Fly-CURE experience on students, we developed and validated assessment tools to identify students’ perceived research self-efficacy, sense of belonging in science, and intent to pursue additional research opportunities. Our data, collected over three academic years and involving 14 institutions and 480 students, show gains in these metrics after completion of the Fly-CURE across all student subgroups analyzed, including comparisons of gender, academic status, racial and ethnic groups, and parents’ educational background. Importantly, our data also show differential gains in the areas of self-efficacy and interest in seeking additional research opportunities between Fly-CURE students with and without prior research experience, illustrating the positive impact of research exposure (dosage) on student outcomes. Altogether, our data indicate that the Fly-CURE experience has a significant impact on students’ efficacy with research methods, sense of belonging to the scientific research community, and interest in pursuing additional research experiences.