Implementation and Evaluation of Curricular Undergraduate Research Experiences in the Life Sciences

University Of California-Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz CA

Investigators

Abstract

With support from the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) program, this Track 2 project focuses on improving the success of underrepresented students in the life sciences. Underrepresented and first-generation college students face many structural impediments in higher education such as a lack of awareness on how to become involved in high impact practices like undergraduate research experiences and internships. Undergraduate research has been shown to be a major contributor to student academic success, helping to shape students' sense of belonging in STEM. A major goal of this project is to increase the number of course-based undergraduate research (CURE) laboratories so that more students, including those from underrepresented groups have access to this transformative pedagogical intervention. Students who complete CURE labs will be invited to meet with industry representatives to explore potential internship opportunities. This project aims to determine how experiential learning through CUREs influences student success. This project will expand CUREs as an approach to provide research opportunities for students interested in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology. The plan has two components. First, the department will establish four new faculty-led CURE labs that will engage up to 100 undergraduates. By bridging research and education, this program will create opportunities for students to work with faculty on authentic research projects in cutting edge fields in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology. Through embedding research into the curriculum, the project will empower students from groups underrepresented in STEM to become members of the research community. The second part of this project will focus on developing partnerships with biotechnology companies in Silicon Valley to provide student internships. These partnerships will increase the college’s capacity for providing research experiences for undergraduates as well as providing students with important networking opportunities for post-graduation careers. The project will assess student learning in the CURES by examining a student’s understanding of experimental design and their self-reported gains in scientific skills. Finally, the project will examine the impact CUREs have on student achievement by comparing the retention and graduation rates of students enrolled in the CURES to those of students who do not enroll in a CURE. The HSI Program aims to enhance undergraduate STEM education, broaden participation in STEM, and build capacity at HSIs. Achieving these aims, given the diverse nature and context of the HSIs, requires innovative approaches that incentivize institutional and community transformation and promote fundamental research (i) on engaged student learning, (ii) about what it takes to diversify and increase participation in STEM effectively, and (iii) that improves our understanding of how to build institutional capacity at HSIs are supported by this program. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.