Is This Science? Students’ Experiences of Failure Make a Research-Based Course Feel Authentic

Abstract

In a mixed-methods study with students in course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) and inquiry courses, student perceptions of authentic research elements in their courses were measured and compared. It was found that experiencing failure enhanced perceived research authenticity, and this seems to be especially powerful for CURE students in the context of relevant discovery.

Enthusiastic but Inconsistent: Graduate Teaching Assistants’ Perceptions of Their Role in the CURE Classroom

“…We therefore expect that many biology GTAs will not have experienced a CURE as students themselves and may therefore have lower expectancy for success in teaching CUREs. GTA subjective task value may also be affected by the structural differences between inquiry and CURE models: In inquiry courses, students simulate the process of science; in CUREs, students actually participate in a research project with the potential for relevant and novel scientific discovery (Auchincloss et al, 2014;Cooper et al, 2019;Goodwin et al, 2021). However, because the intention of a CURE is to engage students in research, we expect GTAs may perceive higher utility and attainment value than GTAs in inquiry courses, as they will serve as research mentors to students in a manner that they may perceive to be more directly translatable and applicable to their own graduate research and/or future career.…”

An introductory biology research-rich laboratory course shows improvements in students’ research skills, confidence, and attitudes

“…This study validates the use of research-rich, introductory-level laboratory curricula in a large-enrollment class at a mid-level minority serving public university. This is one of a limited number of studies that report measurement of student outcomes in a non-volunteer population using a controlled design with a comparison group [ 3 , 4 , 11 , 13 , 45 , 49 ]. Students in both groups demonstrate that they value hands-on experiences and have a positive attitude toward laboratory courses.…”

“…Research demonstrates that discovery, iteration, and collaboration dimensions in CURE are achieved through promoting student ownership [ 11 ]. Furthermore, promotion of student autonomy provides a venue for experiencing and persisting through challenges and failure that ultimately induce students to realize the experience of engagement in authentic research [ 12 , 13 ].…”

Synthesis and Biological Assay of Small-Molecule Quorum Sensing Inhibitors: A Three-Week Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience

“…Students are told early on that they may encounter one or both scenarios and that both are expected in an authentic research environment. 45 In the first case, the instructors spend time going through the details of the procedure, purification, spectral data, etc. with the student to identify the most likely reason the molecule was not isolated.…”

“…There are two main types of failure that students encounter in the context of this three-week module: (1) the molecule is not isolated or (2) the molecule is inactive. Students are told early on that they may encounter one or both scenarios and that both are expected in an authentic research environment …”