Collaborative Research: Authentic Project-based Research in College Sciences Curricula: Assessing the Impacts on Students and Faculty

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This collaboration among Seattle Pacific University, Augustana College, the University of Arizona, and Hiram College will formally evaluate the impact of authentic project-based research in core sciences curricula. In a previous CCLI project, the PI team constructed the Genomics Education National Initiative (GENI portal), a web-based project delivery system that provides remote access to authentic research. GENI supports classroom implementation of this research by providing protocols, training materials, expert advice, a networking community, and physical resources. The PI team is using this resource to integrate authentic project-based research into the curricula of five participating institutions (those listed above and the University of Wisconsin Madison). The PI team is also inviting current and future users of the program to participate in this assessment. The project is focusing on the evaluation of student learning, engagement, scientific literacy, problem-solving, and retention in the sciences and will study factors that influence faculty integration of authentic research into courses. In addition, they are evaluating the utility of the GENI portal curricula delivery system.The Intellectual Merit of the proposed project lies in the systematic implementation and assessment of authentic project-based research in science curricula. These results will add to the limited research base on the effectiveness of integrating authentic research in major and non-major components of core science curricula across multiple disciplines and institutions. Through the use of mixed research methods, including controlled studies and qualitative approaches, data are being collected regarding the impact of authentic project-based research on student learning, attitudes, science career involvement and retention, problem solving, and collaboration. A focus on process and context variables is providing critical information regarding integration of authentic research into core science curricula including benefits and challenges for faculty and students, the role of an electronic delivery and project management system, and their use in multiple settings and across disciplines.The Broader Impacts of this proposal reside in the comprehensive application of project-based research as the foundation of institutional change in undergraduate education. The combination of the resources provided by the GENI portal and the community it supports, complemented by in-depth assessment across multiple educational levels will facilitate integration of research at institutions that were unable to offer a high-quality research experience to their students and will allow the integration of research across curricula, making it an outstanding tool for reaching underserved populations and non-majors. It also provides a way for instructional faculty to re-integrate with mainstream research communities and for full-time researchers to disseminate their science to students of all levels at any institution or location. The data produced will help faculty and administrators integrate undergraduate research at their institutions.