Collaborative Research: Infusing Authentic Research into the Introductory Biology Curriculum - A Multi-Institutional Study

在教授管理的研究实验室中进行真实的研究体验，在培养学生的研究技能和提高学生对科学的忠诚度方面，要比与课程相关的传统实验室体验好得多。对于传统上没有进入科学领域的群体来说尤其如此。真实的研究经历提供了学习研究技能的动力，并在解决研究问题时展示了回报。CUREs（基于课程的本科生研究经验）的创建是为了为所有理科生提供真正的研究经验。然而，人们对治愈对学生研究技能和对科学的保留的影响知之甚少。北科罗拉多大学开发了一种基于加利福尼亚虎藻（一种小型海洋生物）的入门生物学CURE，初步结果表明，该CURE增加了学生的内容知识，提高了他们学习生物学的动机，这两者都被证明可以提高记忆力。该项目将把CURE扩展到三个不同的机构：一所文理大学；为西班牙裔服务的大型研究型大学；还有一所规模较小的少数民族女子服务学院。利用这些不同的学生群体，该项目将确定CURE是否提高了学生的内容知识、研究技能、学习生物学的动机以及对生物学的保留。大多数关于CURE学生成果的研究在很大程度上依赖于学生自我报告的学习成果，这些研究是在自我选择的学生群体中完成的，而不是在STEM学科中代表性不足的学生群体中进行的。拟议的项目将通过增加现有的CURE研究来增强和扩展现有的知识，包括：(1)测试最近开发的CURE影响模型的各个方面；(2)探究CURE对学生实验设计技能、动机、科学认同和科学坚持的影响；(3)研究cure对不同学生群体的影响，包括少数民族和第一代学生。这个项目也将极大地扩展我们对加州虎爪鱼的了解，尽管它在海洋食物链的底部占有重要地位，但目前对它知之甚少。最后，这个项目将有可能扩大代表性不足的群体在生物科学领域的参与。

Authentic research experiences in research laboratories run by professors do a far better job of developing students' research skills and improving student retention in science than traditional laboratory experiences associated with a course. This is particularly true with groups who traditionally have not entered science fields. Authentic research experiences provide motivation to learn the research skills and demonstrate rewards in solving research problems. CUREs (Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences) have been created to provide all science students with a real research experience. However, little is known about the impacts of CUREs on student research skills and retention in science. The University of Northern Colorado has developed an introductory biology CURE based on Tigriopus californicus, a small marine organism, and initial results indicate the CURE increases students' content knowledge and improves their motivation towards learning biology, both of which have been shown to increase retention. This project will expand the CURE to three different institutions: a Liberal Arts University; a large, Hispanic-Serving Research University; and a small, Women's Minority-Serving College. Using these diverse student populations, this project will determine if the CURE improves students' content knowledge, research skills, motivation towards learning biology, and retention in biology. Most research conducted on CURE student outcomes relies heavily on student self-reported learning gains, has been completed with self-selected student populations, and has not been conducted with student populations who are underrepresented in the STEM disciplines. The proposed project will enhance and expand current knowledge by adding to the existing CURE research including: (1) testing aspects of a recently developed CURE impacts model; (2) the exploration of CURE impacts on students' experimental design skills, motivation, science identity, and persistence in science; and (3) the examination of the impacts of CUREs on diverse student groups, including minorities and first-generation students. This project will also greatly expand our understanding of Tigriopus californicus, about which very little is currently known despite its important place at the base of the marine food chain. Finally, this project will potentially broaden participation of underrepresented groups in the biological sciences.