Collaborative Research for Novice Undergraduates

描述（由申请人提供）：本科生可能会被吸引到科学接触到基础实验室研究。在科学家实验室当学徒的暑期研究经历在这方面可能是有效的，但愿意学习的科学家往往太有限，无法在这种环境中容纳大量学生。拟议的项目将使用一个为期10周的夏季研究计划，总部设在亚特兰大的格鲁吉亚州立大学，以测试一个假设，即在一个专门的教学实验室的协作学习经验将积极影响学生的成绩相同或更大的程度比传统的研究学徒。每年四年，研究团队将与当地计划合作，从全国范围内的机构招募和录取本科生参加研究，重点关注代表性不足的群体（即xxx）的学生。在试点研究中被认为有效的方案后勤将在拟议的项目中复制，包括招聘、津贴、住房和交通。通过进行假设驱动的教育研究，我们将填补目前知识的重要空白，旨在感兴趣的干预措施的有效性，激励，并准备学生在生物医学科学的研究生涯，特别关注来自代表性不足的群体的学生。为了验证我们的假设，我们将调整，开发和/或验证定量和定性评估工具。自我效能调查将揭示学生对他们学习科学，进行科学研究和在科学相关职业中取得成功的能力的信念。掌握测验将探索基本科学内容知识和过程技能的获取。实验室观察，参与者和导师访谈，焦点小组讨论和研究报告的评估将描述如何，为什么，以及哪些参与者亚组的夏季研究计划是有效的。长期随访将每年进行，直到2016年，以确定长期成就和职业决策的研究经验的影响，与成就定义为课程成绩和标准化的专业前考试成绩，和职业决策定义为科学相关的课程，专业，专业前的测试，和学士学位后的学术或专业职位的选择。到项目结束时，我们将确定本科研究计划的组成部分，促进多样化的学生群体在生物医学和行为研究领域的职业发展。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Undergraduate students may be attracted to science by exposure to basic laboratory research. A summer research experience as an apprentice in a scientist's laboratory can be effective in this regard, but the pool of willing scientists is often too limited to accommodate large numbers of students in such environments. The proposed project will use a 10-week summer research program based at Georgia State University in Atlanta to test the hypothesis that a collaborative learning experience in a dedicated teaching laboratory will positively affect student outcomes to the same or greater degree than traditional research apprenticeships. Every year for four years, the Research Team will partner with local programs to recruit and admit undergraduate students from institutions nationwide to participate in the study, with focus on students from underrepresented groups (i.e. xxx). Program logistics deemed effective in pilot studies would be replicated in the proposed project, including recruitment, stipends, housing, and transportation. By conducting hypothesis-driven education research, we will fill a critical gap in current knowledge about the effectiveness of interventions intended to interest, motivate, and prepare students for research careers in the biomedical sciences, with particular focus on students from underrepresented groups. In order to test our hypothesis, we will adapt, develop, and/or validate quantitative and qualitative assessment tools. Self-efficacy surveys will reveal student beliefs about their abilities to study science, conduct scientific research, and succeed in science-related careers. Mastery quizzes will probe acquisition of basic science content knowledge and process skills. Laboratory observations, participant and mentor interviews, focus group discussions, and assessment of research presentations will describe how, why, and for which participant subgroups the summer research program is effective. Long-term follow-up will be conducted yearly through 2016 to determine the impact of the research experience on long-term achievement and career decisions, with achievement defined as course grades and standardized pre-professional test scores, and career decisions defined as choice of science-related courses, majors, pre-professional tests, and post-baccalaureate academic or professional positions. By the end of the project, we will have identified components of undergraduate research programs that foster the progress of a diverse student population toward careers in biomedical and behavioral research.