Is the undergraduate research experience (URE) always best?: The power of choice in a bifurcated practical stream for a large introductory biochemistry class

Abstract

Science undergraduate courses typically cater to a mixed-learner cohort, with a diversity of motivations and skills. This diversity introduces pressure for designers of the practical laboratory curriculum. Students who are struggling with the course need a series of tasks that begin simply, and transition to more conceptually difficult material. More capable students need opportunities for conceptual extension and creative activity. In this report, we examine an approach we have used to address this problem in the context of a large introductory biochemistry undergraduate class. Rather than attempting to compromise on a single practical series for our 470 students, we devised two parallel but equivalent practical streams and offered students their choice of laboratory experience. One stream (called Laboratory Experience for Acquiring Practical Skills) was designed to allow acquisition of a range of common biochemistry and molecular biology laboratory skills. The other (called Active Learning Laboratory Undergraduate Research Experience) was designed to offer an authentic (but scaffolded) undergraduate research project. We discuss the ramifications and implications of our approach in terms of funding, staffing, and assessment while also examining student motivation, satisfaction, and skills acquisition. We present data supporting the practical and pedagogical value of laboratory exercise streaming to meet the diverse needs of students. We suggest a framework that can be used to pre-emptively identify and address problems associated with a bifurcated practical series and increase the sustainability of the approach.Keywords: Active learning, assessment of educational activities, curriculum, design development and implementation, laboratory exercises, learning and curriculum design, new course development.The practical laboratory is central to an undergraduate science education [1]. The types of learning that occur in an undergraduate laboratory can (and do) range from the simple improvement of practical skills, to the development of an abstract understanding of the nature of science. There is evidence that the learning gains achieved by students are affected by the design of the laboratory exercise [2], and this idea (in theory) is well accepted in the literature. According to the dogma, a traditional ''cookbook'' laboratory exercise, for example, is likely to produce only gains at the lower points of the cognitive scale as defined in Bloom's Revised Taxonomy [3]. In contrast, a research-driven laboratory learning experience has potential to produce students with an increased ability to think in an abstract manner, define and investigate their own research problems, and develop an understanding of what it means to ''be a scientist''.There have been widespread recommendations that undergraduate science teaching should adopt researchbased learning as standard [4]. This has led to a wave of implementation and debate around student-centered, inquiry-based, and research-based laboratory programs [5][6][7]. Contexts for ...

Do We Need to Design Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences for Authenticity?

“…ALURE was initially developed as a means for engaging a group of self-selecting biochemistry students in a real research project (Rowland et al ., 2012). Today, the model has been successfully adapted into a range of science disciplines, undergraduate levels, and institutions (Rowland et al ., 2016).…”

“…Today, the model has been successfully adapted into a range of science disciplines, undergraduate levels, and institutions (Rowland et al ., 2016). The ALURE model is described in detail in Rowland et al (2012) and Rowland et al (2016), and we briefly restate it here. ALURE allows students to complete research projects during the contact time that is normally dedicated to traditional laboratories or workshops during a unit of study.…”

Using undergraduate research to develop transferable skills for the modern workforce

“…Following on to third year coursework, students apply techniques in DNA analysis and protein expression in an In Focus laboratory and reporting assessment tasks as part of second and third year ALURE modules 30,31 . The range of learning gains observed following ALURE participation align with graduate attributes desired by STEM employers 8 -improvement in practical competencies for pathology and research laboratories, and generic transferable skills applicable to workplaces both in and out of science [30][31][32] .…”

“…Given the impact of engaging with undergraduate research on student retention within science programs 21,22 , the long-term value of exposure to research-based learning early in undergraduate education should not be underestimated 34 . focus-group interviews, the ALURE team consistently reported student-learning gains in scientific skills following the completion of ALURE modules 30,31 , with higher gains observed in critical thinking and problem-solving skills when compared to traditional practical modules 32 . Undergraduate research is a high-impact activity that can be of great benefit to students, and the ALURE project has demonstrated that it can be a valuable addition to the instructor's toolkit to bolster student-learning outcomes in transferable skills.…”

Commentary: Innovation in the biochemistry/molecular biology laboratory

“…More frequently these types of open-ended labs are being associated with areas of active research related to faculty scholarship (examples from recent Innovation series include refs. [3,4]). …”