Title: Enhancing Research Quality through Analytical Memo Writing in a Mixed Methods Grounded Theory Study Implemented by a Multi-Institution Research Team
Dolan, Erin L.; Borrero, Michelle; Callis-Duehl, Kristine; Musgrove, Miranda M.; de Lima, Joelyn; Ero-Tolliver, Isi; Gerhart, Laci M.; Goodwin, Emma C.; Hamilton, Lindsey R.; Henry, Meredith A.; et al
(, CBE—Life Sciences Education)
Barnard, Daron
(Ed.)
This report provides a broad overview of the 2019 Undergraduate Biology Education Research Gordon Research Conference, titled “Achieving Widespread Improvement in Undergraduate Education,” and the associated Gordon Research Seminar, highlighting major themes that cut across invited talks, poster presentations, and informal discussions.
Elliott, Truitt; Drolet, Erin; Briganti, Jonathan S; King, Kelsie M; Brown, Anne M
(, The Biophysicist)
ABSTRACT Undergraduate research experiences (UREs) cultivate workforce skills, such as critical thinking, project management, and scientific communication. Many UREs in biophysical research have constraints related to limited resources, often resulting in smaller student cohorts, barriers for students entering a research environment, and fewer mentorship opportunities for graduate students. In response to those limitations, we have created a structured URE model that uses an asynchronous training style paired with direct-tiered mentoring delivered by peers, graduate students, and faculty. The adaptive undergraduate research training and experience (AURTE) framework was piloted as part of the Brown Experiential Learning program, a computational biophysics research lab. The program previously demonstrated substantial increases and improvements in the number of students served and skills developed. Here, we discuss the long-term effectiveness of the framework, impacts on graduate and undergraduate students, and efficacy in teaching research skills and computational-based biophysical methods. The longitudinal impact of our structured URE on student outcomes was analyzed by using student exit surveys, interviews, assessments, and 5 years of feedback from alumni. Results indicate high levels of student retention in research compared with university-wide metrics. Also, student feedback emphasizes how tiered mentoring enhanced research skill retention, while allowing graduate mentors to develop mentorship and workforce skills to expedite research. Responses from alumni affirm that workforce-ready skills (communicating science, data management, and scientific writing) acquired in the program persisted and were used in postgraduate careers. The framework reinforces the importance of establishing, iterating, and evaluating a structured URE framework to foster student success in biophysical research, while promoting mentorship skill training for graduate students. Future work will explore the adaptability of the framework in wet lab environments and probe the potential of AURTE in broader educational contexts.
Jones, J. A.; Groffman, P. M.; Blair, J.; Davis, F. W.; Dugan, H.; Euskirchen, E. E.; Frey, S. D.; Harms, T. K.; Hinckley, E.; Kosmala, M.; et al
(, Earth's Future)
Abstract Many research and monitoring networks in recent decades have provided publicly available data documenting environmental and ecological change, but little is known about the status of efforts to synthesize this information across networks. We convened a working group to assess ongoing and potential cross‐network synthesis research and outline opportunities and challenges for the future, focusing on the US‐based research network (the US Long‐Term Ecological Research network, LTER) and monitoring network (the National Ecological Observatory Network, NEON). LTER‐NEON cross‐network research synergies arise from the potentials for LTER measurements, experiments, models, and observational studies to provide context and mechanisms for interpreting NEON data, and for NEON measurements to provide standardization and broad scale coverage that complement LTER studies. Initial cross‐network syntheses at co‐located sites in the LTER and NEON networks are addressing six broad topics: how long‐term vegetation change influences C fluxes; how detailed remotely sensed data reveal vegetation structure and function; aquatic‐terrestrial connections of nutrient cycling; ecosystem response to soil biogeochemistry and microbial processes; population and species responses to environmental change; and disturbance, stability and resilience. This initial study offers exciting potentials for expanded cross‐network syntheses involving multiple long‐term ecosystem processes at regional or continental scales. These potential syntheses could provide a pathway for the broader scientific community, beyond LTER and NEON, to engage in cross‐network science. These examples also apply to many other research and monitoring networks in the US and globally, and can guide scientists and research administrators in promoting broad‐scale research that supports resource management and environmental policy.
Lee, Dennis, McAlister, Anne, Ehlert, Kathryn, Faber, Courtney, Kajfez, Rachel, Creamer, Elizabeth, and Kennedy, Marian. Enhancing Research Quality through Analytical Memo Writing in a Mixed Methods Grounded Theory Study Implemented by a Multi-Institution Research Team. Retrieved from https://par.nsf.gov/biblio/10320881. 2019 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE) . Web. doi:10.1109/FIE43999.2019.9028469.
Lee, Dennis, McAlister, Anne, Ehlert, Kathryn, Faber, Courtney, Kajfez, Rachel, Creamer, Elizabeth, & Kennedy, Marian. Enhancing Research Quality through Analytical Memo Writing in a Mixed Methods Grounded Theory Study Implemented by a Multi-Institution Research Team. 2019 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE), (). Retrieved from https://par.nsf.gov/biblio/10320881. https://doi.org/10.1109/FIE43999.2019.9028469
Lee, Dennis, McAlister, Anne, Ehlert, Kathryn, Faber, Courtney, Kajfez, Rachel, Creamer, Elizabeth, and Kennedy, Marian.
"Enhancing Research Quality through Analytical Memo Writing in a Mixed Methods Grounded Theory Study Implemented by a Multi-Institution Research Team". 2019 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE) (). Country unknown/Code not available. https://doi.org/10.1109/FIE43999.2019.9028469.https://par.nsf.gov/biblio/10320881.
@article{osti_10320881,
place = {Country unknown/Code not available},
title = {Enhancing Research Quality through Analytical Memo Writing in a Mixed Methods Grounded Theory Study Implemented by a Multi-Institution Research Team},
url = {https://par.nsf.gov/biblio/10320881},
DOI = {10.1109/FIE43999.2019.9028469},
abstractNote = {},
journal = {2019 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE)},
author = {Lee, Dennis and McAlister, Anne and Ehlert, Kathryn and Faber, Courtney and Kajfez, Rachel and Creamer, Elizabeth and Kennedy, Marian},
}
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