An Interdisciplinary Faculty Community Using a Protein-focused Course Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) to Improve Student Learning

在本科生物学报告的愿景和变化，以及其他出版物，建议在整个课程的核心概念和技能的整合，并注重以学生为中心的学习环境，使用经过验证的高影响力的做法，如研究经验，为所有学生。该项目将让学生参与本科研究，并使用基于课程的本科研究体验（CURE）将研究活动纳入课堂环境。 总体目标是使用以蛋白质为中心的CURE创建一个教师网络，以服务于生物化学家，化学家和生物学家的社区，并研究基本的CURE方面，以改善教学发展。该项目有可能通过将定量、真实的研究纳入课堂和课程，改变参与机构教学实验室的影响。该项目汇集了来自两年制和四年制（本科和研究密集型土地补助）机构的STEM学科教师，通过创建以苹果酸脱氢酶为重点的自我支持和可持续的蛋白质为中心的CURE来填补CURE的空白。这个以蛋白质为中心的CURE社区将研究CURE的两个关键方面：1）CURE长度的影响（课程长CURE（cCURE）或较短的模块化CURE（mCURE）），以及2）跨课程或机构的研究合作的作用，以评估其对学生学习，保留和动机的重要性。学生和教师的成果将使用经过验证的评估工具和外部评估人员与内部咨询团队和外部咨询委员会以及参与者一起进行评估。该项目将建立一个框架，支持一个持续的、以蛋白质为中心的CURE社区，以促进高等教育机构的采用，从而影响大量不同的学生。

The Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Report, as well as other publications, recommend integration of core concepts and skills throughout the curriculum and a focus on student-centered learning environments using validated high impact practices, such as research experiences for all students. This project will engage students in undergraduate research and incorporate research activities into a classroom context using a Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE). The overall goal is to create a faculty network using protein-centric CUREs to serve a community of biochemists, chemists and biologists, and also examine essential CURE aspects to improve pedagogical development. This project has the potential to transform the impact of teaching laboratories at participating institutions by the incorporation of quantitative, authentic research into the classroom and curriculum. This project brings together STEM disciplinary faculty from two and four year (undergrad and research intensive-land grant) institutions to fill a CUREs gap by creating self-supporting and sustainable protein-centric CUREs focused on the enzyme malate dehydrogenase. This protein-centric CUREs community will examine two critical aspects of a CURE: 1) the impact of the length of CUREs (course long CUREs (cCUREs) or shorter modular CUREs (mCUREs)), and 2) the role of research collaborations across courses or institutions to assess their importance for student learning, retention and motivation. Student and Faculty outcomes will be assessed using validated assessment tools and an outside evaluator working with both an internal advisory team and an external advisory board as well as the participants. This project will build a framework supporting a sustained, protein-centric CURE community to foster adoption amongst higher education institutions to impact a large and diverse set of students.