Improving Student Learning Through Undergraduate Research at a Community College

Kansas City Kansas Community College, Kansas City KS

Investigators

Abstract

This project aims to serve the national interest by establishing a faculty network to center undergraduate research opportunities across STEM disciplines at a two-year college. Specifically, this initiative seeks to expand adaptation, implementation and knowledge generation efforts that advance the understanding of how Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) impact student success in a community college setting. Importantly, adoption of this approach is a key step in moving towards equity in STEM education at two-year colleges. This project addresses common barriers to undergraduate research implementation by creating a research culture and robust programmatic assessment plans. Using assessment strategies to highlight the benefits, this initiative aims to build the necessary faculty and administrative support required for long-term sustainability. Ultimately, cultural shifts that foster engagement of both students and faculty in authentic research opportunities supports the mission to effectively educate and train future scientists and technicians to meet regional industry workforce demand. The overall goal of this project is to provide an undergraduate research experience across a range of STEM disciplines, potentially impacting over 500 students each semester. The project's scope includes three specific aims: 1) increase the number of STEM courses using course-based undergraduate research experiences, 2) implement professional development activities that involve curriculum development, and 3) expand adoption of this model across the community at-large. Ten faculty will be recruited to participate in a team to engage in development and adaptation of the new curriculum within the course framework. Professional development involves activities focused on gaining expertise in research experience development, implementation and assessment practices all aimed at student engagement, inclusion and success. Surveys will be utilized to compare the experience and success of students in research-focused courses verses those in traditional courses. An external evaluator will employ a mixed methods approach for both the formative and summative evaluations to provide knowledge regarding both project improvement and overall success. Project outcomes will be disseminated at local and regional conferences and shared locally through webinars and campus-based meetings. The NSF IUSE: Innovation in Two-Year College STEM Education (ITYC) Program seeks to accelerate the impact of and advance knowledge about emerging and evidence-based practices in undergraduate STEM education at two-year colleges. 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.