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1. 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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2. A plant mutant screen CURE integrated with core biology concepts showed effectiveness in course design and students' perceived learning gains

   https://doi.org/10.1002/bmb.21865  

   Liu, Jinjie; Benning, Christoph (January 2025, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education)

   Abstract Course‐based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) provide students with valuable opportunities to engage in research in a classroom setting, expanding access to research opportunities for undergraduates, fostering inclusive research and learning environments, and bridging the gap between the research and education communities. While scientific practices, integral to the scientific discovery process, have been widely implemented in CUREs, there have been relatively few reports emphasizing the incorporation of core biology concepts into CURE curricula. In this study, we present a CURE that integrates core biology concepts, including genetic information flow, phenotype–genotype relationships, mutations and mutants, and structure–function relationships, within the context of mutant screening and gene loci identification. The design of this laboratory course aligns with key CURE criteria, as demonstrated by data collected through the laboratory course assessment survey (LCAS). The survey of undergraduate research experiences (SURE) demonstrates students' learning gains in both course‐directed skills and transferrable skills following their participation in the CURE. Additionally, concept survey data reflect students' self‐perceived understanding of the aforementioned core biological concepts. Given that genetic mutant screens are central to the study of gene function in biology, we anticipate that this CURE holds potential value for educators and researchers who are interested in designing and implementing a mutant screen CURE in their classrooms. This can be accomplished through independent research or by establishing partnerships between different units or institutions. 

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3. Using Inter-institutional Collaboration to Generate Publishable Findings through Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences

   https://doi.org/10.1525/abt.2021.83.7.451  

   Smith, Tanner; Broder, E. Dale; Tinghitella, Robin M.; Ingley, Spencer J. (September 2021, The American Biology Teacher)

   Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) are high-impact practices that allow students to conduct research during class time. Benefits of a CURE can be maximized when integrated into a faculty member’s ongoing research. However, this can be particularly challenging for field biologists, especially when field sites are not situated near their university. Indeed, few existing CUREs are field based. One solution is to partner with a collaborator near the field site. We describe a semester-long CURE in an animal behavior class that involved collaboration among three institutions: researchers from two “distant” institutions have ongoing research at the “local” institution where the CURE took place. This model uses remote conferencing and strategic collaboration to meet all stakeholders’ needs. Undergraduate students engaged as active participants in collaborative inquiry-based work, learned in a cooperative context, and even participated in the publication process. The local principal investigator and their institution generated a high-impact course that integrated research and teaching. Likewise, the distant principal investigators were able to collect more extensive and longer-term field-based data than otherwise possible, and they gained valuable input from the local researchers that contributed to future projects. Remote collaborations open the door to international collaboration with smaller institutions, promoting greater inclusion in science. 

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4. Science Bootcamp Goes Virtual: A Compressed, Interdisciplinary Online Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) Promotes Psychosocial Gains in STEM Transfer Students

   Majka, Elizabeth; Guenther, Merrilee F.; Raimondi, Stacey L. (January 2021, Journal of microbiology biology education)

   null (Ed.)

   Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) are well-documented as high-impact practices that can broaden participation and success in STEM. Drawing primarily from a community-of-practice theoretical framework, we previously developed an interdisciplinary CURE course (Science Bootcamp) for STEM majors focused entirely on the scientific process. Among first-year students, Science Bootcamp leads to psychosocial gains and increased retention. In the current study, we test whether an online Science Bootcamp also improves outcomes for STEM transfer students—a group that faces “transfer shock,” which can negatively impact GPA, psychosocial outcomes, and retention. To this end, we redesigned Science Bootcamp to a two-week course for STEM transfer students to complete prior to beginning the fall semester at our four-year institution. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the course was conducted in an entirely virtual format, using primarily synchronous instruction. Despite the course being virtual, the diverse group of STEM majors worked in small groups to conduct rigorous, novel empirical research projects from start to finish, even presenting their results in a poster symposium. Assessment data confirm the compressed, online Science Bootcamp contains key CURE components—opportunities for collaboration, discovery/relevance, and iteration—and that students were highly satisfied with the course. Moreover, in line with our hypothesis, STEM transfer students who participated in the online Science Bootcamp experienced a range of psychosocial gains (e.g., belonging to STEM). In sum, these findings suggest our online Science Bootcamp promotes positive STEM outcomes, representing a highly flexible and affordable CURE that can be scaled for use at institutions of any size. 

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5. Effectiveness of Course-Based Undergraduate Research Within the General Chemistry Classroom and Their Potential Role in the Cultivation of Modern Polymaths

   https://doi.org/10.5923/j.jlce.20210901.01  

   Gunn, P; Ashcroft, J (March 2021, Journal of laboratory chemical education)

   Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences or CUREs promote student-centered learning through infusion of research principles within an undergraduate course. This is an ideal pedagogy for use in General Chemistry. CUREs provide access to research experience to a broader audience, which increases engagement and success. A CURE model was implemented in a second semester General Chemistry course at Pasadena City College, a Hispanic serving institution (HSI) community college. Student success rate in the CURE chemistry classroom increased by over 20% and students’ completion rates increased over 5%. In addition, success, and completion rates of Hispanic students in the class showed no achievement gap and an over 10% higher completion rate compared to students that took the non-CURE chemistry course. CUREs also had the added benefit of providing more populous groups of undergraduates with opportunities to get a taste of real-world working scenarios that would normally be reserved for upper-level graduate students. Adopting CUREs as an integral part of an institutions’ learning strategies promotes student engagement that will bridge the gaps in traditional learning, but also facilitate development of the essential soft skills required in the collaborative environment that is commonplace in working professional settings. The potential role and relationship of CUREs implementation regarding the revival and cultivation of polymathy among future students as well as its implications on the future of academic instruction based on connections made from historical and interdisciplinary observations are also explores. 

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