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1. Training the Future: Themes From a Content Analysis of Psychology Research Lab Manuals

   https://doi.org/10.1177/00986283241283057  

   Lilley, Malin_K; Castellanos, Isabella; Wicks, Anastacia; Raya, Alena; Weatherford, Dawn_R; Huynh, Ho_Phi (October 2024, Teaching of Psychology)

   BackgroundLab manuals help researchers and students share a common understanding of the rules, guidelines, and expectations related to being involved with a research laboratory. However, no formal guidelines direct the creation of lab manuals in psychology. ObjectiveIn this study, we conducted qualitative analyses of 10 psychology lab manuals to provide some broad guidelines for crafting a lab manual that would improve the research experience for undergraduate students. MethodTaking an inductive approach, a team of researchers created codes from the contents of the manuals, and then derived themes from those codes. ResultsThemes included lab philosophy and direction, expectations and roles in the lab, communication inside and outside the lab, ethics, preparing for research, conducting research, presenting research, networking, and benefits of undergraduate research. ConclusionWe defined and provided specific examples of each theme for consideration by educators and discussed limitations of our approach. Teaching ImplicationsUltimately, these themes could serve as a modest outline from which teacher-scholars can create their lab manuals from scratch or to revise/expand current manuals. 

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2. Advice to Future Participants From Six Cohorts of an Undergraduate Summer Research Program in Atmospheric Science

   Murry, A.; Yuan, N.; Atkinson, D. (January 2023, Journal of College Science Teaching)

   Many undergraduates use research internships to gain experience for graduate school. Science, technol- ogy, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs involve heavy research and lab work duties, for which students are often unprepared and lack opportunities for practice. Evidence supports Undergraduate Research Experience (URE) pro- grams’ ability to improve retention in STEM, but research has not conclu- sively identified what students need to do to excel in these programs. This analysis used a multimethod approach to identify and quantify student-to-student peer advice from six cohorts of a summer STEM URE. We identified six themes in the advice from exit surveys: proactively man- age time, communicate with your team, motivate yourself, be diligent, have fun, and accommodate changes in lifestyle. Each theme included between three and five subthemes that demonstrated nuance within the larger themes. Navigating the expectations of a URE is a complicated endeavor, but participants who are close to the experience provide rich descriptions to aid adjustment. Developing strategies for time management and team communication are most important, followed by motivation, work ethic, enjoyment, and practical adjustments. 

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3. Lessons Learned About Designing and Conducting Studies From HRI Experts

   https://doi.org/10.3389/frobt.2021.772141  

   Fraune, Marlena R.; Leite, Iolanda; Karatas, Nihan; Amirova, Aida; Legeleux, Amélie; Sandygulova, Anara; Neerincx, Anouk; Dilip Tikas, Gaurav; Gunes, Hatice; Mohan, Mayumi; et al (January 2022, Frontiers in Robotics and AI)

   The field of human-robot interaction (HRI) research is multidisciplinary and requires researchers to understand diverse fields including computer science, engineering, informatics, philosophy, psychology, and more disciplines. However, it is hard to be an expert in everything. To help HRI researchers develop methodological skills, especially in areas that are relatively new to them, we conducted a virtual workshop, Workshop Your Study Design (WYSD), at the 2021 International Conference on HRI. In this workshop, we grouped participants with mentors, who are experts in areas like real-world studies, empirical lab studies, questionnaire design, interview, participatory design, and statistics. During and after the workshop, participants discussed their proposed study methods, obtained feedback, and improved their work accordingly. In this paper, we present 1) Workshop attendees’ feedback about the workshop and 2) Lessons that the participants learned during their discussions with mentors. Participants’ responses about the workshop were positive, and future scholars who wish to run such a workshop can consider implementing their suggestions. The main contribution of this paper is the lessons learned section, where the workshop participants contributed to forming this section based on what participants discovered during the workshop. We organize lessons learned into themes of 1) Improving study design for HRI, 2) How to work with participants - especially children -, 3) Making the most of the study and robot’s limitations, and 4) How to collaborate well across fields as they were the areas of the papers submitted to the workshop. These themes include practical tips and guidelines to assist researchers to learn about fields of HRI research with which they have limited experience. We include specific examples, and researchers can adapt the tips and guidelines to their own areas to avoid some common mistakes and pitfalls in their research. 

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4. Positioning Humanity before Progress: Students’ and Mentors’ Perceptions of the COVID-19 Impact on Undergraduate Research

   https://doi.org/10.18833/spur/5/1/10  

   Savic´, Miloš; Kothapalli, Naga Rama; Lanier, Hayley C.; Freeman, Erin K.; Ratliff, Lisa; Hillermann, Emma; Martin, Courtney (September 2021, Scholarship and Practice of Undergraduate Research)

   null (Ed.)

   Through interviews with 28 students and 17 mentors from a campus-wide undergraduate research program, common themes in the responses to COVID-19-related impacts were found. Students had to adjust to the type or scope of their research obligations while handling academic responsibilities, and mentors explicitly considered students’ well-being above expectations related to research. 

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5. A Composite Textual Phenomenological Approach to CUREs versus Traditional Laboratory Experiences

   https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2021.4454  

   Sommers, Amie; Richter-Egger, Dana; Cutucache, Christine (February 2021, The Qualitative Report)

   null (Ed.)

   Here we present unique perspectives from undergraduate students (n=3) in STEM who have taken both a traditional laboratory iteration and a Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) iteration of the same introductory chemistry course. CUREs can be effective models for integrating research in courses and fostering student learning gains. Via phenomenological interviews, we asked students to describe the differences in their perspectives, feelings, and experiences between a traditional lab guided by a lab manual and a CURE. We found that (i.) critical thinking/problem solving, (ii.) group work/collaboration, (iii.) student-led research questions and activities, and (iv.) time management are the top four emergent themes associated with the CURE course. Students also indicated that they learned more disciplinary content in the CURE, and, importantly, that they prefer it over the traditional lab. These findings add another dimension of success to CUREs in STEM education, particularly surrounding student retention. 

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