Facilitating Growth through Frustration: Using Genomics Research in a Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience

Abstract

A hallmark of the research experience is encountering difficulty and working through those challenges to achieve success. This ability is essential to being a successful scientist, but replicating such challenges in a teaching setting can be difficult. The Genomics Education Partnership (GEP) is a consortium of faculty who engage their students in a genomics Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE). Students participate in genome annotation, generating gene models using multiple lines of experimental evidence. Our observations suggested that the students' learning experience is continuous and recursive, frequently beginning with frustration but eventually leading to success as they come up with defendable gene models. In order to explore our "formative frustration" hypothesis, we gathered data from faculty via a survey, and from students via both a general survey and a set of student focus groups. Upon analyzing these data, we found that all three datasets mentioned frustration and struggle, as well as learning and better understanding of the scientific process. Bioinformatics projects are particularly well suited to the process of iteration and refinement because iterations can be performed quickly and are inexpensive in both time and money. Based on these findings, we suggest that a dynamic of "formative frustration" is an important aspect for a successful CURE.

Building Back More Equitable STEM Education: Teach Science by Engaging Students in Doing Science

“…In Box 3 we document several examples of CUREs that can be readily extended into the Do Science framework. Projects based on analysis of data available online have the further advantages of low laboratory costs (requiring only computers and internet connectivity), no lab safety issues; and open access 24/7; are often amenable to peer instruction/coaching; and allow for mistakes that are inexpensive in dollars and time, allowing so students have more freedom to learn (Elgin et al ., 2017; Lopatto et al ., 2020). There are masses of data available free online (for example sequenced genomes; ecosystem monitoring data; satellite survey data) begging for analysis, and exploitation of these resources to address questions of interest could be developed.…”

Confronting Failure: Building Confidence and Resilience in Undergraduate Researchers

“…This can be further complicated by UG researchers' reluctance to discuss those failures in service of using avoidance as a coping strategy ). If mentors are not made aware of a problem or failure, they simply cannot help students learn to fix it, let alone to see and appreciate the value of that failure (Lopatto et al 2020).…”

Tiny Earth: A Big Idea for STEM Education and Antibiotic Discovery

“…To demonstrate the feasibility of widespread implementation of research courses, we developed Tiny Earth, a course focused on antibiotic discovery. It is based on other successful research courses ( 7 , 9 , 14 , 15 ) and addresses common barriers to large-scale implementation. In particular, we modeled Tiny Earth on the structure of the pioneering SEA PHAGES program ( 7 ), a highly successful course on bacteriophage discovery with a program that trains instructors.…”