The genomics education partnership: successful integration of research into laboratory classes at a diverse group of undergraduate institutions

A framework for leveraging network course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) faculty to develop, validate, and administer an assessment instrument

Over the last several years, nationally disseminated course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) have emerged as an alternative to developing a novel CURE from scratch, but objective assessment of these multi-institution (network) CUREs across institutions is challenging due to differences in student populations, instructors, and fidelity of implementation. The time, money, and skills required to develop and validate a CURE-specific assessment instrument can be prohibitive. Here, we describe a co-design process for assessing a network CURE [the Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance in the Environment (PARE)] that did not require support through external funding, was a relatively low time commitment for participating instructors, and resulted in a validated instrument that is usable across diverse PARE network institution types and implementation styles. Data collection efforts have involved over two dozen unique institutions, 42 course offerings, and over 1,300 pre-/post-matched assessment record data points. We demonstrated significant student learning gains but with small effect size in both content and science process skills after participation in the two laboratory sessions associated with the core PARE module. These results show promise for the efficacy of short-duration CUREs, an educational research area ripe for further investigation, and may support efforts to lower barriers for instructor adoption by leveraging a CURE network for developing and validating assessment tools.

Upper-level inter-disciplinary microbiology CUREs increase student's scientific self-efficacy, scientific identity, and self-assessed skills

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) provide opportunities for undergraduate students to engage in authentic research and generally increase the participation rate of students in research. Students' participation in research has a positive impact on their science identity and self-efficacy, both of which can predict integration of students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), especially for underrepresented students. The main goal of this study was to investigate instructor-initiated CUREs implemented as upper-level elective courses in the Biomedical Sciences major. We hypothesized that these CUREs would (i) have a positive impact on students' scientific identity and self-efficacy and (ii) result in gains in students' self-assessed skills in laboratory science, research, and science communication. We used Likert-type surveys developed by Estrada et al. (14) under the Tripartite Integration Model of Social Influence to measure scientific identity, self-efficacy, and scientific value orientation. When data from all CUREs were combined, our results indicate that students' self-efficacy and science identity significantly increased after completion. Students' self-assessment of research and lab-related skills was significantly higher after completion of the CUREs. We also observed that prior to participation in the CUREs, students' self-assessment of molecular and bioinformatic skills was low, when compared with microbiological skills. This may indicate strengths and gaps in our curriculum that could be explored further.

Pairing a bioinformatics-focused course-based undergraduate research experience with specifications grading in an introductory biology classroom

Introducing bioinformatics-focused concepts and skills in a biology classroom is difficult, especially in introductory biology classrooms. Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) facilitate this process, introducing genomics and bioinformatics through authentic research experiences, but the many learning objectives needed in scientific research and communication, foundational biology concepts, and bioinformatics-focused concepts and skills can make the process challenging. Here, the pairing of specifications grading with a bioinformatics-focused CURE developed by the Genomics Education Partnership is described. The study examines how the course structure with specifications grading facilitated scaffolding of writing assignments, group work, and metacognitive activities; and describes the synergies between CUREs and specifications grading. CUREs require mastery of related concepts and skills for working through the research process, utilize common research practices of revision and iteration, and encourage a growth mindset to learning-all of which are heavily incentivized in assessment practices focused on specifications grading.

Fly-CURE, a multi-institutional CURE using Drosophila, increases students' confidence, sense of belonging, and persistence in research

The Fly-CURE is a genetics-focused multi-institutional Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) that provides undergraduate students with hands-on research experiences within a course. Through the Fly-CURE, undergraduate students at diverse types of higher education institutions across the United States map and characterize novel mutants isolated from a genetic screen in Drosophila melanogaster. To date, more than 20 mutants have been studied across 20 institutions, and our scientific data have led to eleven publications with more than 500 students as authors. To evaluate the impact of the Fly-CURE experience on students, we developed and validated assessment tools to identify students' perceived research self-efficacy, sense of belonging in science, and intent to pursue additional research opportunities. Our data, collected over three academic years and involving 14 institutions and 480 students, show gains in these metrics after completion of the Fly-CURE across all student subgroups analyzed, including comparisons of gender, academic status, racial and ethnic groups, and parents' educational background. Importantly, our data also show differential gains in the areas of self-efficacy and interest in seeking additional research opportunities between Fly-CURE students with and without prior research experience, illustrating the positive impact of research exposure (dosage) on student outcomes. Altogether, our data indicate that the Fly-CURE experience has a significant impact on students' efficacy with research methods, sense of belonging to the scientific research community, and interest in pursuing additional research experiences.

Supporting the democratization of science during a pandemic: genomics Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) as an effective remote learning strategy

The initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic changed the nature of course delivery from largely in-person to exclusively remote, thus disrupting the well-established pedagogy of the Genomics Education Partnership (GEP; https://www.thegep.org). However, our web-based research adapted well to the remote learning environment. As usual, students who engaged in the GEP's Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) received digital projects based on genetic information within assembled Drosophila genomes. Adaptations for remote implementation included moving new member faculty training and peer Teaching Assistant office hours from in-person to online. Surprisingly, our faculty membership significantly increased and, hence, the number of supported students. Furthermore, despite the mostly virtual instruction of the 2020-2021 academic year, there was no significant decline in student learning nor attitudes. Based on successfully expanding the GEP CURE within a virtual learning environment, we provide four strategic lessons we infer toward democratizing science education. First, it appears that increasing access to scientific research and professional development opportunities by supporting virtual, cost-free attendance at national conferences attracts more faculty members to educational initiatives. Second, we observed that transitioning new member training to an online platform removed geographical barriers, reducing time and travel demands, and increased access for diverse faculty to join. Third, developing a Virtual Teaching Assistant program increased the availability of peer support, thereby improving the opportunities for student success. Finally, increasing access to web-based technology is critical for providing equitable opportunities for marginalized students to fully participate in research courses. Online CUREs have great potential for democratizing science education.

Puerto Rican Students Rising in STEM: Findings from a Multicampus Collaborative CURE Program to Promote Student Success

Although Hispanic population is growing rapidly, Latino students earn fewer STEM degrees than their peers. Therefore, it is mandatory to implement strategies that improve STEM retention and graduation rates for Hispanic students. There is little research about the ways in which multicampus collaborative CUREs combined with additional academic support, affect low-income, Hispanic students and none that focus solely on Puerto Rican students in STEM. Puerto Rico (PR) has a 99% Hispanic population; thus, it is imperative to include PR in education research literature. This study sought to examine the impacts of the Research for Improved Student Experiences (RISE) in STEM program at two campuses of the Inter American University of Puerto Rico. The program included multicampus collaborative CUREs, academic advising, and peer mentoring using quasi-experimental design. Impact assessment included psychosocial metrics such as self-efficacy, science identity and sense of belonging in a pre/posttest design. These findings were triangulated with the differences between treatment and control for retention, pass rate, and course grades. The findings revealed statistically significant improvements on all metrics. This study's findings support multicampus collaborative CUREs, academic advising, and peer mentoring as useful and effective strategies for improving outcomes for low-income Hispanic students in Puerto Rico.

Manual annotation of Drosophila genes: a Genomics Education Partnership protocol

Annotating the genomes of multiple species allows us to analyze the evolution of their genes. While many eukaryotic genome assemblies already include computational gene predictions, these predictions can benefit from review and refinement through manual gene annotation. The Genomics Education Partnership (GEP; https://thegep.org/) developed a structural annotation protocol for protein-coding genes that enables undergraduate student and faculty researchers to create high-quality gene annotations that can be utilized in subsequent scientific investigations. For example, this protocol has been utilized by the GEP faculty to engage undergraduate students in the comparative annotation of genes involved in the insulin signaling pathway in 27 Drosophila species, using D. melanogaster as the reference genome. Students construct gene models using multiple lines of computational and empirical evidence including expression data (e.g., RNA-Seq), sequence similarity (e.g., BLAST and multiple sequence alignment), and computational gene predictions. Quality control measures require each gene be annotated by at least two students working independently, followed by reconciliation of the submitted gene models by a more experienced student. This article provides an overview of the annotation protocol and describes how discrepancies in student submitted gene models are resolved to produce a final, high-quality gene set suitable for subsequent analyses. The protocol can be adapted to other scientific questions (e.g., expansion of the Drosophila Muller F element) and species (e.g., parasitoid wasps) to provide additional opportunities for undergraduate students to participate in genomics research. These student annotation efforts can substantially improve the quality of gene annotations in publicly available genomic databases.

Identifying new small proteins through a molecular biology course-based undergraduate research experience laboratory class

We developed a curriculum for an upper-level molecular biology course-based undergraduate research laboratory class funded by a National Science Foundation CAREER grant that focuses on identifying new small proteins in the bacterium, Escherichia coli. Our CURE class has been continually offered each semester for the last 10 years, with multiple instructors collaboratively developing and implementing their own pedagogical approach while maintaining the same overall scientific goal and experimental strategy. In this paper, we delineate the experimental strategy for our molecular biology CURE laboratory class, describe a range of pedagogical approaches implemented by multiple instructors, and provide recommendations for teaching the class. The purpose of our paper is to share our experiences both in developing and teaching a molecular biology CURE laboratory class based on small protein identification and in creating a curriculum and support system that allows traditional, non-traditional, and under-represented students to participate in authentic research projects.

Trails to Research: an Inquiry-Based Course Using Zebrafish To Provide Research Experience to Tribal College Students

Embryonic development is fascinating to follow and highly engaging and, therefore, lends itself for undergraduate students' first steps in experimental science. We developed the "Trails to Research" inquiry-based course, which exposes students to life science research using zebrafish as model organism. Zebrafish are ideal in the classroom: they are easy to maintain, their embryos develop rapidly, and they are easily manipulated. Further, they lend themselves to teach about embryo development and experimental design. We developed the course for undergraduates at 2-year colleges and, therefore, for students with little or no research experience. In this 5-day intensive course (which is taught during summers as a stand-alone course), students design treatment experiments for zebrafish embryos with known teratogens and with substances they select. The course comprises three modules that overlap over the 5 days: (i) introduction to developmental biology, model organisms, toxicology, and experimental design, (ii) zebrafish embryo experimental setup, and (iii) collecting, analyzing, and presenting data. Student learning was significant in the areas of experimental design, working with model systems, working with zebrafish embryos, using laboratory equipment, and presenting the results of their experiments using effective methods.

Cross-disciplinary CURE Program Increases Educational Aspirations in a Large Community College

Undergraduate research experiences have been widely demonstrated as a beneficial and essential component of the college experience. However, many community colleges face barriers and lack of support in implementing such research programs, which means a significant number of community college students miss out on these impactful experiences. Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) represent a feasible way to increase access to research experiences within community colleges. To investigate whether these CURE opportunities resulted in comparable to 4-year university CURE students, a CURE program was developed across various disciplines in a large community college and the impact on community college students was assessed. Analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data showed that students reported improvement in research skills, increases in confidence, and increases in educational aspirations. Peer interactions and instructor relationships in CUREs were identified as key factors associated with increases in research skills. Key factors associated with increases in educational aspirations included confidence in research-based courses, seeking additional research opportunities, and building a meaningful relationship with the instructor, but only if confidence increased as well. Our findings indicate that CUREs positively impact student outcomes in the community college setting and may provide increased access to research experiences.

A Call to Assess the Impacts of Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences for Career and Technical Education, Allied Health, and Underrepresented Students at Community Colleges

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) have the potential to impact student success and reduce barriers for students to participate in undergraduate research. Literature review has revealed that, while CUREs are being implemented at both community colleges (CCs) and bachelor's degree-granting institutions, there are limited published studies on the differential impacts CUREs may have on CC students in allied health programs, career and technical education, and nursing pathways (termed "workforce" in this essay). This essay summarizes proposed outcomes of CURE instruction and explores possible reasons for limited reporting on outcomes for CC and workforce students. It also provides recommendations to guide action and effect change regarding CURE implementation and assessment at CCs. This essay is a call to action to expand the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics career development pathway to include workforce students, implement CUREs designed for workforce students, and assess the differential impacts CUREs may have on workforce student populations at CCs.

A CURE on the Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance in Escherichia coli Improves Student Conceptual Understanding

We developed labs on the evolution of antibiotic resistance to assess the costs and benefits of replacing traditional laboratory exercises in an introductory biology course for majors with a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE). To assess whether participating in the CURE imposed a cost in terms of exam performance, we implemented a quasi-experiment in which four lab sections in the same term of the same course did the CURE labs, while all other students did traditional labs. To assess whether participating in the CURE impacted other aspects of student learning, we implemented a second quasi-experiment in which all students either did traditional labs over a two-quarter sequence or did CURE labs over a two-quarter sequence. Data from the first experiment showed minimal impact on CURE students' exam scores, while data from the second experiment showed that CURE students demonstrated a better understanding of the culture of scientific research and a more expert-like understanding of evolution by natural selection. We did not find disproportionate costs or benefits for CURE students from groups that are minoritized in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Fly-CURE, a Multi-institutional CURE using Drosophila, Increases Students' Confidence, Sense of Belonging, and Persistence in Research

The Fly-CURE is a genetics-focused multi-institutional Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) that provides undergraduate students with hands-on research experiences within a course. Through the Fly-CURE, undergraduate students at diverse types of higher education institutions across the United States map and characterize novel mutants isolated from a genetic screen in Drosophila melanogaster. To evaluate the impact of the Fly-CURE experience on students, we developed and validated assessment tools to identify students' perceived research self-efficacy, sense of belonging in science, and intent to pursue additional research opportunities. Our data show gains in these metrics after completion of the Fly-CURE across all student subgroups analyzed, including comparisons of gender, academic status, racial and ethnic groups, and parents' educational background. Importantly, our data also show differential gains in the areas of self-efficacy and interest in seeking additional research opportunities between Fly-CURE students with and without prior research experience, illustrating the positive impact of research exposure (dosage) on student outcomes. Altogether, our data indicate that the Fly-CURE experience has a significant impact on students' efficacy with research methods, sense of belonging to the scientific community, and interest in pursuing additional research experiences.

Length of course-based undergraduate research experiences (CURE) impacts student learning and attitudinal outcomes: A study of the Malate dehydrogenase CUREs Community (MCC)

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) are laboratory courses that integrate broadly relevant problems, discovery, use of the scientific process, collaboration, and iteration to provide more students with research experiences than is possible in individually mentored faculty laboratories. Members of the national Malate dehydrogenase CUREs Community (MCC) investigated the differences in student impacts between traditional laboratory courses (control), a short module CURE within traditional laboratory courses (mCURE), and CUREs lasting the entire course (cCURE). The sample included approximately 1,500 students taught by 22 faculty at 19 institutions. We investigated course structures for elements of a CURE and student outcomes including student knowledge, student learning, student attitudes, interest in future research, overall experience, future GPA, and retention in STEM. We also disaggregated the data to investigate whether underrepresented minority (URM) outcomes were different from White and Asian students. We found that the less time students spent in the CURE the less the course was reported to contain experiences indicative of a CURE. The cCURE imparted the largest impacts for experimental design, career interests, and plans to conduct future research, while the remaining outcomes were similar between the three conditions. The mCURE student outcomes were similar to control courses for most outcomes measured in this study. However, for experimental design, the mCURE was not significantly different than either the control or cCURE. Comparing URM and White/Asian student outcomes indicated no difference for condition, except for interest in future research. Notably, the URM students in the mCURE condition had significantly higher interest in conducting research in the future than White/Asian students.

The Genomics Education Partnership: First findings on genomics research in community colleges

The Genomics Education Partnership (GEP), a consortium of diverse colleges/universities, provides support for integrating genomics research into undergraduate curricula. To increase research opportunities for underrepresented students, GEP is expanding to more community colleges (CC). Genomics research, requiring only a computer with internet access, may be particularly accessible for 2-year institutions with limited research capacity and significant budget constraints. To understand how GEP supports student research at CCs, we analyzed student knowledge and self-reported outcomes. We found that CC student gains are comparable to non-CC student gains, with improvements in attitudes toward science and thriving in science. Our early findings suggest that the GEP model of centralized support with flexible CURE implementation benefits CC students and may help mitigate barriers to implementing research at CCs.

Gains in Scientific Identity, Scientific Self-Efficacy, and Career Intent Distinguish Upper-Level CUREs from Traditional Experiences in the Classroom

Attrition from the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) pipeline limits the number of graduates needed to meet STEM workforce demand and impedes efforts to diversify the workforce. Identifying factors that underlie academic success and STEM persistence is an important component to increasing the number of STEM graduates. The current study utilizes the social influence process indicators of the Tripartite Integration Model of Social Influence to investigate effects of course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) participation and to predict career intent in a diverse population. CURE participants experienced significant gains in scientific self-efficacy, scientific identity, and career intent, while students in control courses did not. Between-groups analysis showed that scientific self-efficacy and scientific identity increased significantly more for CURE participants than for non-CURE participants. Regression analysis revealed that scientific identity was the only significant predictor of a student's career intent. This work underscores the central importance of prioritizing scientific identity in STEM curricula to improve throughput in the STEM pipeline and illustrates the usefulness of CUREs as viable interventions to positively influence factors that promote STEM career intent.

External Collaboration Results in Student Learning Gains and Positive STEM Attitudes in CUREs

The implementation of course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) has made it possible to expose large undergraduate populations to research experiences. For these research experiences to be authentic, they should reflect the increasingly collaborative nature of research. While some CUREs have expanded, involving multiple schools across the nation, it is still unclear how a structured extramural collaboration between students and faculty from an outside institution affects student outcomes. In this study, we established three cohorts of students: 1) no-CURE, 2) single-institution CURE (CURE), and 3) external collaborative CURE (ec-CURE), and assessed academic and attitudinal outcomes. The ec-CURE differs from a regular CURE in that students work with faculty member from an external institution to refine their hypotheses and discuss their data. The sharing of ideas, data, and materials with an external faculty member allowed students to experience a level of collaboration not typically found in an undergraduate setting. Students in the ec-CURE had the greatest gains in experimental design; self-reported course benefits; scientific skills; and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) importance. Importantly this study occurred in a diverse community of STEM disciplinary faculty from 2- and 4-year institutions, illustrating that exposing students to structured external collaboration is both feasible and beneficial to student learning.

Understanding the Benefits of Residential Field Courses: The Importance of Class Learning Goal Orientation and Class Belonging

While previous literature finds many benefits to participation in undergraduate field courses, the mechanisms for how these benefits develop is still unknown. This study explores these mechanisms and any unique benefits of field courses by examining results from pre and post surveys about scientific literacy, future science plans, and motivation and belonging for undergraduate students who took courses in one field station setting (n = 249) and one traditional on-campus setting (n = 118). We found positive associations between the field station setting and scientific literacy as well as future science plans. In addition, this study finds support for the serial and multiple mediation of class learning goal orientation and class belonging in explaining the relationships between the field station setting and scientific literacy as well as future science plans. The results of this study have implications for enhancing field course design and increasing access and inclusion.

Student Attitudes Contribute to the Effectiveness of a Genomics CURE

The Genomics Education Partnership (GEP) engages students in a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE). To better understand the student attributes that support success in this CURE, we asked students about their attitudes using previously published scales that measure epistemic beliefs about work and science, interest in science, and grit. We found, in general, that the attitudes students bring with them into the classroom contribute to two outcome measures, namely, learning as assessed by a pre- and postquiz and perceived self-reported benefits. While the GEP CURE produces positive outcomes overall, the students with more positive attitudes toward science, particularly with respect to epistemic beliefs, showed greater gains. The findings indicate the importance of a student's epistemic beliefs to achieving positive learning outcomes.

Students' Emotions, Perceived Coping, and Outcomes in Response to Research-Based Challenges and Failures in Two Sequential CUREs

The ability to navigate scientific obstacles is widely recognized as a hallmark of a scientific disposition and is one predictor of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics persistence for early-career scientists. However, the development of this competency in undergraduate research has been largely underexplored. This study addresses this gap by examining introductory students' emotional and behavioral responses to research-related challenges and failures that occur in two sequential research-based courses. We describe commonly reported emotions, coping responses, and perceived outcomes and examine relationships between these themes, student demographics, and course enrollment. Students commonly experience frustration, confusion, and disappointment when coping with challenges and failures. Yet the predominance of students report coping responses likely to be adaptive in academic contexts despite experiencing negative emotions. Being enrolled in the second course of a research-based course sequence was related to several shifts in response to challenges during data collection, including less reporting of confusion and fewer reports of learning to be cautious from students. Overall, students in both the first and second courses reported many positive outcomes indicating improvements in their ability to cope with challenge and failure. We assert that educators can improve research-based educational courses by scaffolding students' research trials, failures, and iterations to support students' perseverance.

Students' Experiences and Perceptions of the Scientific Research Culture after Participating in Different Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience Models

Undergraduate students interact with the culture of scientific research when they participate in direct mentorship experiences and laboratory courses such as course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs). Much work has been done to explore how CUREs impact the interest, motivation, and retention of undergraduate students in science. However, little work has been done exploring students' experiences and perceptions of the culture of scientific research in the CURE context, and how different CURE models representing different subfields of science impact these experiences and perceptions. This study explored which cultural aspects of scientific research students experienced after participating in a CURE and whether their perceptions of those cultural aspects differed based on students' participation in a bench-based or computer-based research project. Students discussed the Practices and Norms/Expectations of scientific research most frequently. Students in the bench-based and computer-based project areas mentioned different cultural aspects as important to their experiences. Bench-based and computational students also had different perceptions of some of the same cultural aspects, including Teamwork, Freedom & Independence, and Persistence & Resilience. These results suggest that different CURE models differentially impact students' experiences and perceptions of the culture of scientific research, which has implications for examining how students move into scientific research.

Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) in General Education Courses

While much of the promotion for undergraduate research (UR) originates from the natural sciences, this high-impact practice should also occur in social science to prepare students for graduate school/ the workforce and should be integrated into lower-division general education courses. Our study examines content and skills gained by students from two course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) in Introduction to Sociology courses. Pre- and post-course survey analyses, post-survey student outcomes of a CURE class compared against students enrolled in three non-CURE Introduction to Sociology classes, and a content analysis of end-of-semester papers indicate student knowledge gain in specific topical areas, methodological skills, and major sociology theoretical perspectives. We conclude that UR enhances research- and sociology-related knowledge.

An introductory biology research-rich laboratory course shows improvements in students' research skills, confidence, and attitudes

As part of a wider reform to scaffold quantitative and research skills throughout the biology major, we introduced course-based undergraduate research experiences (CURE) in sections of a large-enrollment introductory biology laboratory course in a mid-level, public, minority-serving institution. This initiative was undertaken as part of the in the National Science Foundation / Council for Undergraduate Research Transformations Project. Student teams performed two or three experiments, depending on semester. They designed, implemented, analyzed, revised and iterated, wrote scientific paper-style reports, and gave oral presentations. We tested the impact of CURE on student proficiency in experimental design and statistical reasoning, and student research confidence and attitudes over two semesters. We found that students in the CURE sections met the reformed learning objectives for experimental design and statistical reasoning. CURE students also showed higher levels of experimental design proficiency, research self-efficacy, and more expert-like scientific mindsets compared to students in a matched cohort with the traditional design. While students in both groups described labs as a positive experience in end-of-semester reflections, the CURE group showed a high level of engagement with the research process. Students in CURE sections identified components of the research process that were difficult, while also reporting enjoying and valuing research. This study demonstrates improved learning, confidence, and attitudes toward research in a challenging CURE laboratory course where students had significant autonomy combined with appropriate support at a diverse public university.

Angelo SK, Thompson LB, Tollefson EJ, Toote LE, Wheeler KE. The Primarily Undergraduate Nanomaterials Cooperative: A New Model for Supporting Collaborative Research at Small Institutions on a National Scale

The Primarily Undergraduate Nanomaterials Cooperative (PUNC) is an organization for research-active faculty studying nanomaterials at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs), where undergraduate teaching and research go hand-in-hand. In this perspective, we outline the differences in maintaining an active research group at a PUI compared to an R1 institution. We also discuss the work of PUNC, which focuses on community building, instrument sharing, and facilitating new collaborations. Currently consisting of 37 members from across the United States, PUNC has created an online community consisting of its Web site (nanocooperative.org), a weekly online summer group meeting program for faculty and students, and a Discord server for informal conversations. Additionally, in-person symposia at ACS conferences and PUNC-specific conferences are planned for the future. It is our hope that in the years to come PUNC will be seen as a model organization for community building and research support at primarily undergraduate institutions.

Enhancing research and scholarly experiences based on students' awareness and perception of the research-teaching nexus: A student-centred approach

OBJECTIVES

Research is a core competency of a modern-day doctor and evidence-based practice underpins a career in medicine. Early exposure encourages graduates to embed research in their medical career and improves graduate attributes and student experience. However, there is wide variability of research and scholarly experiences offered in medicals schools, many developed with a significant degree of pragmatism based on resources and financial and time constraints. We examined undergraduate medical students' awareness and experience of research throughout their degree to provide recommendations for implementation and improvement of research and scholarly experiences.

METHOD

Focus groups were conducted with medical students at all five stages of the medical degree programme. Data was coded to facilitate qualitative analysis for identification of important themes from each stage.

RESULTS

Students reported positive impacts of research on undergraduate experience, future career and society in general. Two important themes emerged from the data, the opportunity for research and timing of research experiences. Early-stage students were concerned by their lack of experience and opportunity, whereas later-stage students identified the importance of research to employability, personal development and good medical practice, but ironically suggested it should be integrated in early stages of the course due to limitations of time.

CONCLUSIONS

Students provided feedback for improving research and scholarly experiences, ideally involving early exposure, a clear programme overview, with equality of access and a longitudinal approach. An emerging framework is proposed summarising the important issues identified by students and the positive impacts research experiences provide for them. These recommendations can be applied to both existing and new research programmes to provide a student-centred approach designed to augment the students' critical analysis, inspire life-long learning, enhance the student experience and inevitably train better physicians.

Current Approaches for Integrating Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR) Education into Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences: A National Assessment

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs), which often engage students as early as freshman year, have become increasingly common in biology curricula. While many studies have highlighted the benefits of CUREs, little attention has been paid to responsible and ethical conduct of research (RECR) education in such contexts. Given this observation, we adopted a mixed methods approach to explore the extent to which RECR education is being implemented and assessed in biological sciences CUREs nationwide. Survey and semistructured interview data show a general awareness of the importance of incorporating RECR education into CUREs, with all respondents addressing at least one RECR topic in their courses. However, integration of RECR education within the CURE environment primarily focuses on the application of RECR during research practice, often takes the form of corrective measures, and appears to be rarely assessed. Participants reported lack of time and materials as the main barriers to purposeful inclusion of RECR education within their courses. These results underscore a need for the CURE community to develop resources and effective models to integrate RECR education into biology CUREs.

Student Perceptions of Authoring a Publication Stemming from a Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE)

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) engage students in authentic research experiences in a course format and can sometimes result in the publication of that research. However, little is known about student-author perceptions of CURE publications. In this study, we examined how students perceive they benefit from authoring a CURE publication and what they believe is required for authorship of a manuscript in a peer-reviewed journal. All 16 students who were enrolled in a molecular genetics CURE during their first year of college participated in semistructured interviews during their fourth year. At the time of the interviews, students had been authors of a CURE publication for a year and a half. Students reported that they benefited personally and professionally from the publication. Students had varying perceptions of what is required for authorship, but every student thought that writing the manuscript was needed, and only two mentioned needing to approve the final draft. Additionally, we identified incomplete conceptions that students had about CURE publications. This work establishes student-perceived benefits from CURE publications and highlights the need for authorship requirements to be explicitly addressed in CUREs.

Assessment of Course-Based Research Modules Based on Faculty Research in Introductory Biology

Calls for early exposure of all undergraduates to research have led to the increased use and study of course-based research experiences (CREs). CREs have been shown to increase measures of persistence in the sciences, such as science identity, scientific self-efficacy, project ownership, scientific community values, and networking. However, implementing CREs can be challenging and resource-intensive. These barriers may be partly mitigated by the use of short-term CRE modules rather than semester- or year-long projects. One study has shown that a CRE module captures some of the known benefits of CREs as measured by the Persistence in the Sciences (PITS) survey. Here, we used this same survey to assess outcomes for introductory biology students who completed a semester of modular CREs based on faculty research at an R1 university. The results indicated levels of self-efficacy, science community values, and science identity similar to those previously reported for students in the Science Education Alliance-Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) full-semester CRE. Scores for project ownership (content) were between previously reported traditional lab and CRE scores, while project ownership (emotion) and networking were similar to those of traditional labs. Our results suggest that modular CREs can lead to significant gains in student affect measures that have been linked to persistence in the sciences in other studies. Although gains were not as great in all measures as with a semester-long CRE, implementation of modular CREs may be more feasible and offers the added benefits of exposing students to diverse research fields and lab techniques.

Transference of Citizen Science Program Impacts: A Theory Grounded in Public Participation in Scientific Research

Citizen science is known for increasing the geographic, spatial, and temporal scale from which scientists can gather data. It is championed for its potential to provide experiential learning opportunities to the public. Documentation of educational outcomes and benefits for citizen scientists continues to grow. This study proposes an added benefit of these collaborations: the transference of program impacts to individuals outside of the program. The experiences of fifteen citizen scientists in entomology citizen science programs were analyzed using a constructivist grounded theory methodology. We propose the substantive-level theory of transference to describe the social process by which the educational and attitudinal impacts intended by program leaders for the program participants are filtered by citizen scientists and transferred to others. This process involves individual and external phases, each with associated actions. Transference occurred in participants who had maintained a long-term interest in nature, joined a citizen science program, shared science knowledge and experiences, acquired an expert role to others, and influenced change in others. Transference has implications for how citizen scientists are perceived by professional communities, understanding of the broader impacts and contributions of citizen science to wicked problems, program evaluation, and the design of these programs as informal science education opportunities.

Connected while distant: Networking CUREs across classrooms to create community and empower students

Connections, collaborations, and community are key to the success of individual scientists as well as transformative scientific advances. Intentionally building these components into STEM education can better prepare future generations of researchers. Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) are a new and fast-growing teaching practice in STEM that can expand opportunities for undergraduate students to gain research skills. Because they engage all students in a course in an authentic research experience focused on a relevant scientific problem, CUREs provide an opportunity to foster community among students while promoting critical thinking skills and positively influencing their identities as scientists. Here, we review CUREs in the biological sciences that were developed as multi-institutional networks, and highlight the benefits gained by both students and instructors through participation in a CURE network. Throughout, we introduce Squirrel-Net, a network of ecology-focused and field-based CUREs that intentionally create connections among students and instructors. Squirrel-Net CUREs can also be scaffolded into the curriculum to form connections between courses, and are easily transitioned to distance-based delivery. Future assessments of networked CUREs like Squirrel-Net will help elucidate how CURE networks create community and how a cultivated research community impacts students' performance, perceptions of science, and sense of belonging. We hypothesize networked CUREs have the potential to create a broader sense of belonging among students and instructors alike, which could result in better science and more confident scientists.

Mapping the Educational Environment of Genomics and Pharmacogenomics in the United Arab Emirates: A Mixed-Methods Triangulated Design

Pharmacogenomics (PGx) education is crucial to support the effective delivery of PGx services in any health care system. We mapped the current educational environment of genomics and PGx in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and assessed the readiness of the accredited higher education system to move forward with the implementation of PGx in the country. We employed a mixed-methods triangulated approach to map the PGx educational environment in UAE. We used two qualitative methods and one quantitative method. University curricula inspection, interviews, and questionnaires were the main resources of data. PGx was taught in 6 out of 21 accredited universities, but only for pharmacy majors. Only three out of six PGx courses were stand-alone. Majority of academia exhibited positive attitudes toward the availability and accessibility of genetic testing, with 89% agreeing that the government should invest more money into its development. Interviews with academics and, importantly, the commissioners who oversee the accreditation process of universities in UAE revealed recurrent themes that included recognizing the importance of genomic medicine and PGx and called for translational and implementational research, including recruitment of experts in the field. We recommend, as supported by our findings in this study, the creation of standardized curriculum of genomics and PGx for each health science field, using the blended teaching approach, and benchmarking internationally accredited universities to foster international collaboration and improve the education and practice of genomics in the clinic and public health systems. An 11-item genomics and PGx strategy is presented herein. Finally, the mixed-methods study design employed in this research may also serve as a model conceptual frame for other science education mapping efforts at country or multi-institutional scales in the future.

Undergraduate Virtual Engagement in Community Genome Annotation Provides Flexibility to Overcome Course Disruptions

Recently, students and faculty have been forced to deal with unprecedented disruptions to their courses and broader uncertainties that have presented serious challenges to quality instruction. We present a flexible, team-based approach to teaching and learning that can transition seamlessly between face-to-face, hybrid, and fully online instruction when disruptions occur. We have built a community genome annotation program that can be implemented as a module in a biology course, as an entire course, or as directed research projects. This approach maintains an engaging and supportive educational environment and provides students the opportunity to learn and contribute to science with undergraduate research. Students are provided guidance through multiple interactions with faculty and peer mentors to support their progress and encourage learning. Integration of the developed instructional tools with available technology ensures that students can contribute remotely. Through this process, students seamlessly continue their annotation coursework, participate in undergraduate research, and prepare abstracts and posters for virtual conferences. Importantly, this strategy does not impose any additional burden or workload on students, who may already be overwhelmed with the additional work associated with the transition to remote learning. Here, we present tips for implementing this instructional platform, provide an overview of tools that facilitate instruction, and discuss expected educational outcomes.

CUREing cancer: Development and implementation of a molecular biology-focused course-based undergraduate research experience using a cancer cell culture model

Many students in the sciences are interested in exploring research opportunities; however, the one-on-one faculty mentorship model often lacks the ability to supervise large numbers of students. An alternative mechanism for exposing undergraduate students to the research process is participation in a Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE). CUREs promote inclusivity in research, and provide structure for both students and faculty while engaging students in scientific discovery. This study describes a model for a CURE in cancer biology, and reports student outcomes. Students utilized bioinformatics to predict targets genes of miR-100, a microRNA that is differentially expressed in a cell culture model of breast cancer metastasis. Students were required to engage with primary literature to write a grant proposal for their target gene, and then were trained to perform basic molecular biology techniques to test their individual hypotheses. Additionally, the course integrated opportunities to troubleshoot experiments and present data to the group, and culminated in a publication style scientific report discussing the results of their individual research project. Students reported significantly increased confidence in executing various molecular biology techniques and research-related skills based on pre- and post-assessment surveys. Student feedback also indicated that they gained an understanding of primary literature, experimental design, and scientific writing as a result of the course. This study supports that CUREs can be an effective pedagogy for not only engaging larger groups of students in research, but also improving their confidence and skill set in the laboratory.

Combating Antimicrobial Resistance Through Student-Driven Research and Environmental Surveillance

Emerging resistance to all classes of antimicrobials is one of the defining crises of the 21st century. Many advances in modern medicine, such as routine surgeries, are predicated on sustaining patients with antimicrobials during a period when their immune systems alone cannot clear infection. The development of new antimicrobials has not kept pace with the antimicrobial resistance (AR) threat. AR bacteria have been documented in various environments, such as drinking and surface water, food, sewage, and soil, yet surveillance and sampling has largely been from infected patients. The prevalence and diversity of AR bacteria in the environment, and the risks they pose to humans are not well understood. There is consensus that environmental surveillance is an important first step in forecasting and targeting efforts to prevent spread and transmission of AR microbes. However, efforts to date have been limited. The Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance in the Environment (PARE) is a classroom-based project that engages students around the globe in systematic environmental AR surveillance with the goal of identifying areas where prevalence is high. The format of PARE, designed as short classroom research modules, lowers common barriers for institutional participation in course-based research. PARE brings real-world microbiology into the classroom by educating students about the pressing public health issue of AR, while empowering them to be partners in the solution. In turn, the PARE project provides impactful data to inform our understanding of the spread of AR in the environment through global real-time surveillance.

Advancing Undergraduate Laboratory Education Using Non-Model Insect Species

Over the past decade, laboratory courses have made a fundamental shift to inquiry-based modules and authentic research experiences. In many cases, these research experiences emphasize addressing novel research questions. Insects are ideal for inquiry-based undergraduate laboratory courses because research on insects is not limited by regulatory, economic, and logistical constraints to the same degree as research on vertebrates. While novel research questions could be pursued with model insect species (e.g., Drosophila, Tribolium), the opportunities presented by non-model insects are much greater, as less is known about non-model species. We review the literature on the use of non-model insect species in laboratory education to provide a resource for faculty interested in developing new authentic inquiry-based laboratory modules using insects. Broader use of insects in undergraduate laboratory education will support the pedagogical goals of increased inquiry and resesarch experiences while at the same time fostering increased interest and research in entomology.

Mini-review: CREATE-ive use of primary literature in the science classroom

CREATE (Consider, Read, Elucidate hypotheses, Analyze and interpret data, Think of the next Experiment) is a pedagogical approach for teaching and learning science through the rigorous analysis of primary scientific literature. This mini-review focuses on the tools, assignments, and in-class activities by which this strategy immerses students in the process of science and further challenges students to embody the intellectual activities of actual scientists. We highlight the innovative ways in which CREATE pedagogy encourages students to think deeply about science. Applying this strategy has been shown to promote student gains in cognitive and affective behaviors while also fostering the development of science process skills. Herein we also provide a case study of CREATE implementation, which provides a detailed perspective on the realities of teaching with this strategy. Finally, we offer insights gained through the study of this pedagogy at different types of institutions, courses and student populations to demonstrate how CREATE can be broadly applied in STEM education.

Combining Microbial Culturing With Mathematical Modeling in an Introductory Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience

Quantitative techniques are a critical part of contemporary biology research, but students interested in biology enter college with widely varying quantitative skills and attitudes toward mathematics. Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) may be an early way to build student competency and positive attitudes. Here we describe the design, implementation, and assessment of an introductory quantitative CURE focused on halophilic microbes. In this CURE, students culture and isolate halophilic microbes from environmental and food samples, perform growth assays, then use mathematical modeling to quantify the growth rate of strains in different salinities. To assess how the course may impact students' future academic plans and attitudes toward the use of math in biology, we used pre- and post-quarter surveys. Students who completed the course showed more positive attitudes toward science learning and an increased interest in pursuing additional quantitative biology experiences. We argue that the classroom application of microbiology methods, combined with mathematical modeling using student-generated data, provides a degree of student ownership, collaboration, iteration, and discovery that makes quantitative learning both relevant and exciting to students.

Uncovering Factors Influencing Instructors' Decision Process when Considering Implementation of a Course-Based Research Experience

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) are an effective way to expose large numbers of students to authentic research, yet most laboratory courses still use traditional "cookbook" methods. While barriers to using CUREs have been captured postimplementation, little is known about the decision mindset before implementation or what features of CURE design may mitigate perceived barriers. Perception of an innovation (such as a CURE) influences the likelihood of its adoption, and diffusion of innovations theory posits that the decision to adopt is largely influenced by five perceived features of an innovation: relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, observability, and trialability. We conducted interviews with instructors considering using the Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance in the Environment (PARE) project to assess their perceptions of CUREs and motivations for using PARE. Instructors viewed CUREs as having relative advantages over traditional methods; however, CUREs were also viewed as complex, with instructors citing multiple barriers. Instructors were motivated to use PARE because of its potential scientific impact and compatibility with their courses' structures and resources. Instructors perceived PARE to have few barriers to implementation compared with other CUREs. Designing CUREs that address common instructor barriers and drivers could increase the rate of diffusion of CUREs.

G-OnRamp: Generating genome browsers to facilitate undergraduate-driven collaborative genome annotation

Scientists are sequencing new genomes at an increasing rate with the goal of associating genome contents with phenotypic traits. After a new genome is sequenced and assembled, structural gene annotation is often the first step in analysis. Despite advances in computational gene prediction algorithms, most eukaryotic genomes still benefit from manual gene annotation. This requires access to good genome browsers to enable annotators to visualize and evaluate multiple lines of evidence (e.g., sequence similarity, RNA sequencing [RNA-Seq] results, gene predictions, repeats) and necessitates many volunteers to participate in the work. To address the technical barriers to creating genome browsers, the Genomics Education Partnership (GEP; https://gep.wustl.edu/) has partnered with the Galaxy Project (https://galaxyproject.org) to develop G-OnRamp (http://g-onramp.org), a web-based platform for creating UCSC Genome Browser Assembly Hubs and JBrowse genome browsers. G-OnRamp also converts a JBrowse instance into an Apollo instance for collaborative genome annotations in research and educational settings. The genome browsers produced can be transferred to the CyVerse Data Store for long-term access. G-OnRamp enables researchers to easily visualize their experimental results, educators to create Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) centered on genome annotation, and students to participate in genomics research. In the process, students learn about genes/genomes and about how to utilize large datasets. Development of G-OnRamp was guided by extensive user feedback. Sixty-five researchers/educators from >40 institutions participated through in-person workshops, which produced >20 genome browsers now available for research and education. Genome browsers generated for four parasitoid wasp species have been used in a CURE engaging students at 15 colleges and universities. Our assessment results in the classroom demonstrate that the genome browsers produced by G-OnRamp are effective tools for engaging undergraduates in research and in enabling their contributions to the scientific literature in genomics. Expansion of such genomics research/education partnerships will be beneficial to researchers, faculty, and students alike.

Introduction to Research: A Scalable, Online Badge Implemented in Conjunction with a Classroom-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) that Promotes Students Matriculation into Mentored Undergraduate Research

The benefits of mentored undergraduate research to student success, retention, and persistence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) have long been identified. However, many students miss out on the opportunity to engage in research often due to unfamiliarity of various research opportunities or how to approach potential research mentors. To address this, we developed a scalable online badge, Introduction to Research, that draws on aspects of the Entering Research curriculum (Branchaw, Pfund, & Rediske, 2010) to help students explore and prepare for undergraduate research in the biomedical and behavioral sciences. Students in the BUILD Training Program, part of the larger STEM BUILD at UMBC Initiative, completed the badge in conjunction with a 3-week classroom-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) before the start of their second year of undergraduate study at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). We were interested in investigating how this intervention, online badge plus CURE, correlated to students engaging in undergraduate research before the end of their second year at UMBC. We did this through student self-report, comparing students who had participated in the online badge plus CURE (BTP) to those who participated in neither (Control). Our data demonstrate that students who participated in the Introduction to Research Badge and CURE entered into mentored research at a significantly higher rate than students who were exposed to neither. Further, previously validated instruments of students 'research self-efficacy and science identity were used to compare how the Introduction to Research Badge and CURE may impact these two psycho-social variables. Students who participated in the Introduction to Research Badge and CURE had significantly higher gains in research self-efficacy compared to the control group. However, no change was observed in science identity for either group. Collectively, our results suggest that students who engage in the Introduction to Research Badge in combination with a CURE engage in mentored research within a year of completion at higher levels than students who engage in neither.

Meeting the Needs of A Changing Landscape: Advances and Challenges in Undergraduate Biology Education

Over the last 25 years, reforms in undergraduate biology education have transformed the way biology is taught at many institutions of higher education. This has been fueled in part by a burgeoning discipline-based education research community, which has advocated for evidence-based instructional practices based on findings from research. This perspective will review some of the changes to undergraduate biology education that have gained or are currently gaining momentum, becoming increasingly common in undergraduate biology classrooms. However, there are still areas in need of improvement. Although more underrepresented minority students are enrolling in and graduating from biology programs than in the past, there is a need to understand the experiences and broaden participation of other underserved groups in biology and ensure biology classroom learning environments are inclusive. Additionally, although understanding biology relies on understanding concepts from the physical sciences and mathematics, students still rarely connect the concepts they learn from other STEM disciplines to biology. Integrating concepts and practices across the STEM disciplines will be critical for biology graduates as they tackle the biological problems of the twenty-first century.

A Single, Narrowly Focused CREATE Primary Literature Module Evokes Gains in Genetics Students' Self-Efficacy and Understanding of the Research Process

Exposure to primary literature using CREATE tools has been shown to have a positive impact on students' self-efficacy and beliefs when incorporated into semester-long courses taught by extensively trained faculty. However, it is unknown whether similar benefits can occur with a brief exposure to CREATE in an otherwise traditionally taught course. We hypothesized that students who experienced a short-term CREATE module taught by faculty with minimal training in this pedagogy would make gains in scientific literacy and self-efficacy while also experiencing epistemological maturation. To test this hypothesis, we compared sections of students who experienced the CREATE module with sections of the same course taught without CREATE. Our hypothesis was partially supported by the data in that students in CREATE sections made significant gains in self-efficacy but did not gain transferable data analysis skills. Students in those sections also self-reported significantly enhanced understanding of the research process. Thus, this study suggests that analysis of primary literature using CREATE, even in short modules, can significantly and positively affect students' self-efficacy and their views of science.

Facilitating Growth through Frustration: Using Genomics Research in a Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience

A hallmark of the research experience is encountering difficulty and working through those challenges to achieve success. This ability is essential to being a successful scientist, but replicating such challenges in a teaching setting can be difficult. The Genomics Education Partnership (GEP) is a consortium of faculty who engage their students in a genomics Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE). Students participate in genome annotation, generating gene models using multiple lines of experimental evidence. Our observations suggested that the students' learning experience is continuous and recursive, frequently beginning with frustration but eventually leading to success as they come up with defendable gene models. In order to explore our "formative frustration" hypothesis, we gathered data from faculty via a survey, and from students via both a general survey and a set of student focus groups. Upon analyzing these data, we found that all three datasets mentioned frustration and struggle, as well as learning and better understanding of the scientific process. Bioinformatics projects are particularly well suited to the process of iteration and refinement because iterations can be performed quickly and are inexpensive in both time and money. Based on these findings, we suggest that a dynamic of "formative frustration" is an important aspect for a successful CURE.

Emphasizing iterative practices for a sequential course-based undergraduate research experience in microbial biofilms

Iteration is a fundamental area of course design in course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs). Iteration includes development of many skills necessary for laboratory work, experimental design, data analysis, communication and teamwork. With a focus on the microbial biofilm research track of the First-year Research Immersion (FRI) program, the perceptions of four student cohorts were examined at the end of the three-term CURE sequence, relative to exposure to iterative tasks, learning gains and benefits from the research experience. Based on results from the first two cohorts, substantial changes were made in the CURE sequence to increase iterative tasks and discussion with students about the iterative nature of research. In turn, the results for the latter cohorts reached FRI program targets. In sum, novice researchers benefit from a deliberate step-wise approach for developing skills to meet the requirements and understand the complex role of iteration in real research.

Genomics Education in the Era of Personal Genomics: Academic, Professional, and Public Considerations

Since the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003, genomic sequencing has become a prominent tool used by diverse disciplines in modern science. In the past 20 years, the cost of genomic sequencing has decreased exponentially, making it affordable and accessible. Bioinformatic and biological studies have produced significant scientific breakthroughs using the wealth of genomic information now available. Alongside the scientific benefit of genomics, companies offer direct-to-consumer genetic testing which provide health, trait, and ancestry information to the public. A key area that must be addressed is education about what conclusions can be made from this genomic information and integrating genomic education with foundational genetic principles already taught in academic settings. The promise of personal genomics providing disease treatment is exciting, but many challenges remain to validate genomic predictions and diagnostic correlations. Ethical and societal concerns must also be addressed regarding how personal genomic information is used. This genomics revolution provides a powerful opportunity to educate students, clinicians, and the public on scientific and ethical issues in a personal way to increase learning. In this review, we discuss the influence of personal genomics in society and focus on the importance and benefits of genomics education in the classroom, clinics, and the public and explore the potential consequences of personal genomic education.

Students Who Analyze Their Own Data in a Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) Show Gains in Scientific Identity and Emotional Ownership of Research

While it has been established that course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) lead to student benefits, it is less clear what aspects of CUREs lead to such gains. In this study, we aimed to understand the effect of students analyzing their own data, compared with students analyzing data that had been collected by professional scientists. We compared the experiences of students in a CURE investigating whether the extinction risk status of terrestrial mammals and birds is associated with their ecological traits. Students in the CURE were randomly assigned to analyze either data that they had collected or data previously collected by professional scientists. All other aspects of the student experience were designed to be identical. We found that students who analyzed their own data showed significantly greater gains in scientific identity and emotional ownership than students who analyzed data collected by professional scientists.

The Impact of Broadly Relevant Novel Discoveries on Student Project Ownership in a Traditional Lab Course Turned CURE

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) have been shown to lead to multiple student benefits, but much is unknown about how CUREs lead to specific student outcomes. In this study, we examined the extent to which students making "broadly relevant novel discoveries" impacted student project ownership by comparing the experiences of students in a CURE and a traditional lab course. The CURE and traditional lab were similar in most aspects; students were exposed to an identical curriculum taught by the same instructor. However, there was one major difference between the two types of courses: the type of data that the students produced. Students in the traditional lab characterized the immune system of wild-type mice, thereby confirming results already known to the scientific community, while students in the CURE characterized the immune system of a mutant strain of mice, which produced broadly relevant novel discoveries. Compared with traditional lab students, CURE students reported higher cognitive and emotional ownership over their projects. Students' perceptions of collaboration and making broadly relevant novel discoveries were significantly and positively related to their cognitive and emotional ownership. This work provides insight into the importance of integrating opportunities for broadly relevant novel discoveries in lab courses.

The Mastery Rubric for Bioinformatics: A tool to support design and evaluation of career-spanning education and training

As the life sciences have become more data intensive, the pressure to incorporate the requisite training into life-science education and training programs has increased. To facilitate curriculum development, various sets of (bio)informatics competencies have been articulated; however, these have proved difficult to implement in practice. Addressing this issue, we have created a curriculum-design and -evaluation tool to support the development of specific Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) that reflect the scientific method and promote both bioinformatics practice and the achievement of competencies. Twelve KSAs were extracted via formal analysis, and stages along a developmental trajectory, from uninitiated student to independent practitioner, were identified. Demonstration of each KSA by a performer at each stage was initially described (Performance Level Descriptors, PLDs), evaluated, and revised at an international workshop. This work was subsequently extended and further refined to yield the Mastery Rubric for Bioinformatics (MR-Bi). The MR-Bi was validated by demonstrating alignment between the KSAs and competencies, and its consistency with principles of adult learning. The MR-Bi tool provides a formal framework to support curriculum building, training, and self-directed learning. It prioritizes the development of independence and scientific reasoning, and is structured to allow individuals (regardless of career stage, disciplinary background, or skill level) to locate themselves within the framework. The KSAs and their PLDs promote scientific problem formulation and problem solving, lending the MR-Bi durability and flexibility. With its explicit developmental trajectory, the tool can be used by developing or practicing scientists to direct their (and their team’s) acquisition of new, or to deepen existing, bioinformatics KSAs. The MR-Bi is a tool that can contribute to the cultivation of a next generation of bioinformaticians who are able to design reproducible and rigorous research, and to critically analyze results from their own, and others’, work.

Barriers to integration of bioinformatics into undergraduate life sciences education: A national study of US life sciences faculty uncover significant barriers to integrating bioinformatics into undergraduate instruction

Bioinformatics, a discipline that combines aspects of biology, statistics, mathematics, and computer science, is becoming increasingly important for biological research. However, bioinformatics instruction is not yet generally integrated into undergraduate life sciences curricula. To understand why we studied how bioinformatics is being included in biology education in the US by conducting a nationwide survey of faculty at two- and four-year institutions. The survey asked several open-ended questions that probed barriers to integration, the answers to which were analyzed using a mixed-methods approach. The barrier most frequently reported by the 1,260 respondents was lack of faculty expertise/training, but other deterrents—lack of student interest, overly-full curricula, and lack of student preparation—were also common. Interestingly, the barriers faculty face depended strongly on whether they are members of an underrepresented group and on the Carnegie Classification of their home institution. We were surprised to discover that the cohort of faculty who were awarded their terminal degree most recently reported the most preparation in bioinformatics but teach it at the lowest rate.

Benefits and Challenges of Instructing Introductory Biology Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) as Perceived by Graduate Teaching Assistants

Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) are often the primary instructors for undergraduate biology laboratories and serve as research mentors in course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs). While several studies have explored undergraduate perceptions of CUREs, no previous study has qualitatively described GTAs' perceptions about teaching CUREs, despite the essential instructional role GTAs play. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe and ascribe meaning to the perceptions that GTAs have regarding benefits and challenges with instructional experiences in introductory biology CUREs. We conducted semistructured interviews with 11 GTAs instructing an introductory biology CURE at a 4-year public university. We found that, while GTAs perceived professional benefits such as experience in research mentoring and postsecondary teaching, they also described challenges, including the time required to instruct a CURE, motivating students to take ownership, and a lack of expertise in mentoring undergraduates about a copepod-based CURE. Feelings of inadequacy in serving as a research mentor and high levels of critical thinking were also cited as perceived issues. We recommend that the greater responsibility and increased time commitment perceived by GTAs in the current study warrants reconsideration by lab coordinators and administrators as to what content and practices should be included in pedagogical training specifically designed for CURE GTAs and how departmental and institutional policies may need to be adapted to better implement CUREs.