Flying With Swallows: A Project to Improve STEM Education at Moreno Valley College and Beyond

Riverside Community College District/Moreno Valley Campus, Moreno Valley CA

Investigators

Abstract

Moreno Valley College of the Riverside Community College District has received an NSF Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Education and Human Resources Design and Development tier award for a project entitled Flying With Swallows, which will integrate undergraduate research experiences and activities into the curricula of Biology and Chemistry courses at the institution. The subject of the multi-disciplinary research studies will be cliff swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) that migrate to the area from South or Central America to breed. The abundance of the swallows on campus during the breeding season will engage the interest of the student community. Flying With Swallows will follow two lines of investigation. The Ecosystem Survey will monitor the presence of all birds, with an emphasis on cliff swallows, as well as mammals, reptiles, and insects on the campus. This year-round data collection will generate a dynamic "living" map available on the college website. The Ecosystem Investigation will study the environmental impact of human activity on the swallow population. The swallows will be used as monitoring organisms in biological magnification studies. Students will conduct analyses of a variety of samples for the presence of pollutants and potentially pathogenic microorganisms. Flying With Swallows is based on the research literature demonstrating that undergraduate research experiences have a positive impact on the persistence of STEM students to graduation. The FWS research experience will be aligned with the expected student learning outcomes for the biology and chemistry courses to ensure that students are acquiring the necessary disciplinary content knowledge, while enhancing their global awareness and critical thinking and communication skills. Project evaluation will include monitoring student progress, as well as surveys and interview procedures to inform future development of the project. The results of these evaluations will expand knowledge of best practices for the infusion of undergraduate research into the curricula of colleges and universities nationwide, but will be particularly relevant for the integration of undergraduate research into the curricula of community colleges, Hispanic Serving Institutions, and other Minority Serving Institutions.