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Description

The Council for Undergraduate Research defines undergraduate research to be any "inquiry or investigation conducted by an undergraduate student that makes an original intellectual or creative contribution to the discipline." In 2005 statement, they wrote:

“Its central premise is the formation of a collaborative enterprise between student and faculty member-most often one mentor and one burgeoning scholar but sometimes (particularly in the social and natural sciences) a team of either or both. This collaboration triggers a four-step learning process:

1. the identification of and acquisition of a disciplinary or interdisciplinary methodology
2. the setting out of a concrete investigative problem
3. the carrying out of the actual project
4. finally, the dispersing/sharing of a new scholar's discoveries with his or her peers- a step traditionally missing in most undergraduate educational programs” (CUR; Science Education Resource Center (SERC) @ Carleton College).

Undergraduate research experiences generally fall into 2 categories: individual research projects, like MIT’s UROP; and course-based projects.

Individual research projects generally involve a semester- or summer-long project in which the undergraduate student works with a faculty mentor. The projects are usually part of a larger research effort within the faculty member’s research group. In addition, the student may also work closely in parallel or in series with a graduate student or postdoc, who serves as an additional mentor, and introduces the undergraduate to the discipline. The mentoring component this high-impact practice is a key factor in its effectiveness (Lee, Dennis, & Campbell, 2007).

Course-based research projects introduce students to scientific research through discovery-based laboratory experiences. They were developed to enrich and make more authentic the traditional “cook book” laboratory experiences of many undergraduate programs. Course-based research projects provide opportunities for groups of students to address real and open research problems or questions in the context of a class (Corwin, Runyon, Robinson, & Dolan, 2015) Course-based research projects can exist as whole courses (lecture-based with lab or just a lab), or as modules within other courses, as seminar courses. Much of the work in this area of undergraduate research has been in the biological sciences under an initiative called CURE: Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREnet). CUREs provide opportunities for many more students than can feasibly be matched with individual research mentors and projects. Due to their course-based format, these research experiences are generally more accessible to first-year students, who may lack the necessary background knowledge for some independent research projects. In addition, for students who arrive at college with less cultural capital, CURE opportunities provide a more accessible entry point for research experiences (Bangera & Brownell, 2014). The CUREnet at the University of Texas, Austin provides an online repository of course-based research experiences. Some of the projects in MIT’s First-year Advising Seminars are excellent examples of course-based undergraduate research experiences.

Benefits for Students

Although undergraduate research activities - by themselves - provide valuable learning experiences, the enriched faculty-student interactions that they facilitate foster the development of a host of significant metacognitive and affective skills and beliefs (Science Education Resource Center (SERC) @ Carleton College). Through well-planned and executed authentic research experiences, students:

• learn/acquire content knowledge and practical skills (Lopatto, 2007); progress through Bloom’s six stages of cognitive learning: remembering, understanding, analyzing, evaluating, synthesizing and creating. (Bangera & Brownell, 2014; Bennett & Bauer, 2003; Ishiyama, 2002; Kardash, 2000; Lopatto, 2004);
• develop metacognitive skills (reflect on their own learning and understanding) through the creation, execution and adaption a research plan (Lopatto, 2007);
• develop: a sense of belonging in the discipline, self-efficacy, self-confidence and a better tolerance for obstacles (Cole, 2007; Hurtado et al., 2011; Kim & Sax, 2009; Lopatto, 2007);
• build meaningful relationships with faculty, postdocs and graduate students in their disciplines;
• clarify career & education plans and are better prepared for graduate school and/or a career. (Lopatto, 2004; 2007; Seymour, Hunter, Laursen, & DeAntoni, 2004);
• gain self-confidence in their ability to do research (Bennett & Bauer, 2003; Fechheimer, Webber, & Kleiber, 2011; Russell, Hancock, & McCullough, 2007; Seymour et al., 2004). In the study by Russell et al., 83% of respondents (n=3300) said their confidence in their research skills increased either somewhat or a lot, 73% said their awareness of what graduate school is like increased either somewhat or a lot, and 68% said that the research experience had increased their interest in attending graduate school, either somewhat or a lot (Russell et al., 2007). This has been shown to be particularly relevant for women and URM students in STEM fields (Chang, Sharkness, Hurtado, & Newman, 2014; Lopatto, 2004).

In addition, research experiences during the first year can have significant positive impacts on a student’s trajectory through college. Fechhmeier and colleagues have shown that extended participation in research for more than a single semester is correlated with an increase in GPA (Fechheimer et al., 2011). In a 2002 study of students in the humanities and social sciences, Ishiyama found that students who participate in undergraduate research early on in their college careers (self) report significant gains in the ability to (1) think analytically and logically; (2) put ideas together, and note similarities and differences between ideas; (3) learn on their own and find information they need to complete a task” (Ishiyama, 2002). In addition, he found that early participation in collaborative research was of particular benefit for first-generation college students.

Critical Components

The research sited under “Benefits for Students”, above provide strong evidence for the effectiveness of undergraduate research experiences in supporting the development of a wide range of skills, beliefs and behaviors. When developing and implementing undergraduate research experiences, care should be taken to support both the undergraduates and their mentors in order to achieve the desired student learning and developmental outcomes, as well as the research goals.

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