Engaging Undergraduates in Research Experiences at a Distance: Insights and Recommendations for Remote URE.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Jensen-Ryan D
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8011901 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Successfully recruiting students from underrepresented groups to pursue biomedical science research careers continues to be a challenge. Early exposure to scientific research is often cited as a powerful means to attract research scholars with the research mentor being critical in facilitating the development of an individual's science identity and career; however, most mentors in the biological sciences have had little formal training in working with research mentees. To better understand mentors' experiences working with undergraduates in the laboratory, we conducted semistructured interviews with 15 research mentors at a public university in the Midwest. The interviewed mentors were part of a program designed to increase the number of American Indians pursuing biomedical/biobehavioral research careers and represented a broad array of perspectives, including equal representation of male and female mentors, mentors from underrepresented groups, mentors at different levels of their careers, and mentors from undergraduate and professional school departments. The mentors identified benefits and challenges in being an effective mentor. We also explored what the term underrepresented means to the mentors and discovered that most of the mentors had an incomplete understanding about how differences in culture could contribute to underrepresented students' experience in the laboratory. Our interviews identify issues relevant to designing programs and courses focused on undergraduate student research.
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Project description:Biology research is becoming increasingly dependent on large-scale, "big data," networked research initiatives. At the same time, there has been a corresponding effort to expand undergraduate participation in research to benefit student learning and persistence in science. This essay examines the confluence of this trend through eight years of a collaboration within a successful biology research network that explicitly incorporates undergraduates into large-scale scientific research. We draw upon interviews with faculty in this network to consider the interplay of scientific and pedagogical objectives at the heart of this undergraduate-focused network research project. We identify ways that this network has expanded and diversified access to scientific knowledge production for faculty and students and examine a goal conflict that emerged around the dual objectives of mentoring emerging scientists while producing high-quality scientific data for the larger biology community. Based on lessons learned within this network, we provide three recommendations that can support institutions and faculty engaging in networked research projects with undergraduates: (1) establish rigorous protocols to ensure data and database quality, (2) protect personnel time to coordinate network and scientific processes, and (3) select appropriate partners and establish explicit expectations for specific collaborations.
| S-EPMC8693944 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background:Mentored research apprenticeships are a common feature of academic outreach programs that aim to promote diversity in science fields. The current study tests for links between three forms of mentoring (instrumental, socioemotional, and negative) and the degree to which undergraduates psychologically identify with science. Participants were 66 undergraduate-mentor dyads who worked together in a research apprenticeship. The undergraduate sample was predominantly composed of women, first-generation college students, and members of ethnic groups that are historically underrepresented in science. Results:Findings illustrated that undergraduates who reported receiving more instrumental and socioemotional mentoring were higher in scientist identity. Further, mentors who reported engaging in higher levels of negative mentoring had undergraduates with lower scientist identity. Qualitative data from undergraduates' mentors provided deeper insight into their motivation to become mentors and how they reason about conflict in their mentoring relationships. Conclusions:Discussion highlights theoretical implications and details several methodological recommendations.
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Project description:Global migration from Africa to more economically developed regions such as the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Australia has reached unprecedented rates in the past five decades. The size of the African immigrant population in the United States has roughly doubled every decade since 1970. However, research has not kept up with the growing size of this vulnerable population. Data from African immigrants have not traditionally been reported separately from Blacks/African Americans. There is growing interest in increasing the participation of African immigrants in research to understand their unique health needs and the full spectrum of factors impacting their health, ranging from racial, social, environmental, and behavioral factors, to individual biological and genetic factors which may also inform health challenges. This line of inquiry may also inform our understanding of health disparities among their African American counterparts. However, little is known about effective community engagement and recruitment strategies that may increase the participation of this population in research studies. The purpose of this commentary is to: 1) describe lessons learned from our experiences engaging African immigrants in research in the Baltimore, Washington, DC, and Atlanta metropolitan areas; 2) discuss strategies for successful recruitment; and 3) consider future directions of research and opportunities to translate research findings into health policy for this population.
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Project description:Large lecture classes and standardized laboratory exercises are characteristic of introductory biology courses. Previous research has found that these courses do not adequately convey the process of scientific research and the excitement of discovery. Here we propose a model that provides beginning biology students with an inquiry-based, active learning laboratory experience. The Dynamic Genome course replicates a modern research laboratory focused on eukaryotic transposable elements where beginning undergraduates learn key genetics concepts, experimental design, and molecular biological skills. Here we report on two key features of the course, a didactic module and the capstone original research project. The module is a modified version of a published experiment where students experience how virtual transposable elements from rice (Oryza sativa) are assayed for function in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana. As part of the module, students analyze the phenotypes and genotypes of transgenic plants to determine the requirements for transposition. After mastering the skills and concepts, students participate in an authentic research project where they use computational analysis and PCR to detect transposable element insertion site polymorphism in a panel of diverse maize strains. As a consequence of their engagement in this course, students report large gains in their ability to understand the nature of research and demonstrate that they can apply that knowledge to independent research projects.
| S-EPMC3567729 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivePathway programs designed to recruit and retain students from groups historically excluded from science and medicine have focused on providing academic and social support through programs that provide mentored experiences. However, for students in science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine (STEMM) majors, students from underrepresented groups tend to leave science-oriented programs at higher rates than students who are not underrepresented. As such, they are also underrepresented in medical fields, including academic medicine. Insight into how pathway programs contribute to addressing this issue is critical.MethodsThis study took a qualitative approach to investigating the experiences of pathway program administrators in academic medicine. Interviews were conducted with 12 program administrators working on 8 different programs throughout the country. Interviews were analyzed using directed content analysis while also allowing for the development of new themes based on the data.ResultsThe codes were organized into 6 overarching themes: mentorship, student engagement, determining program success, administrative time and program logistics, diversity and inclusion, and transition to virtual learning (due to COVID-19). Within each of these themes, program administrators described challenges along with some strategies programs employed to overcome these challenges.ConclusionsThe greatest overall challenge described was finding and sustaining relationships with faculty and nonfaculty mentors. To address this issue, many programs have worked within their institutions to incentivize this work. For student engagement, program administrators reported issues with tailoring to skill sets and interests of multiple students while still fostering community. Program administrators have also expanded definitions for determining program success. Program administration is a challenge, and more support staff or time to devote to these programs is often needed. Diversity challenges encompass recruiting faculty and students from groups underrepresented in STEMM and the logistics of getting all necessary accommodations for students. Finally, transition to virtual learning, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, brought about challenges and opportunities.
| S-EPMC10395169 | biostudies-literature
Project description:AimsThe COVID-19 pandemic forced closure of most U.S. university campuses in March 2020, obliging millions of students to finish their semesters via remote learning. This study examines whether and how students' prior and current experiences of digital inequality-defined as constrained access to the internet and internet-connecting devices-were associated with their remote learning experiences.MethodAn anonymous, online survey of 2,913 undergraduate college students from 30 U.S. universities completing their spring term remotely was conducted between April and May 2020. Hypothesis testing utilized a structural equation model with cluster-bootstrapped standard errors and p-values, to account for students being clustered by university.ResultsFindings revealed that students' challenges with internet connectivity and digital devices during remote learning were associated with lower remote learning proficiency (RLP). Difficulty communicating with professors and teaching assistants was also associated with lower RLP. Prior experience with online coursework was associated with higher RLP, and digital inequality challenges during the year prior to the pandemic with lower RLP. Moreover, students who reported greater financial hardship since the start of the pandemic experienced significantly more connectivity, device, and faculty communication challenges during remote learning, and had significantly lower RLP.ConclusionsMany students will continue to learn remotely in some form until the pandemic recedes. We identify key factors associated with students' remote learning proficiency: (1) consistent, high-speed internet connectivity and functioning devices to connect to it, and (2) the ability to relate to and communicate easily with professors and teaching assistants. This study identifies potential barriers to effective remote learning, as well as possible opportunities to improve students' experiences.
| S-EPMC7875367 | biostudies-literature
Project description:In-person undergraduate research experiences (UREs) promote students' integration into careers in life science research. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted institutions hosting summer URE programs to offer them remotely, raising questions about whether undergraduates who participate in remote research can experience scientific integration and whether they might perceive doing research less favorably (i.e., not beneficial or too costly). To address these questions, we examined indicators of scientific integration and perceptions of the benefits and costs of doing research among students who participated in remote life science URE programs in Summer 2020. We found that students experienced gains in scientific self-efficacy pre- to post-URE, similar to results reported for in-person UREs. We also found that students experienced gains in scientific identity, graduate and career intentions, and perceptions of the benefits of doing research only if they started their remote UREs at lower levels on these variables. Collectively, students did not change in their perceptions of the costs of doing research despite the challenges of working remotely. Yet students who started with low cost perceptions increased in these perceptions. These findings indicate that remote UREs can support students' self-efficacy development, but may otherwise be limited in their potential to promote scientific integration.
| S-EPMC10228262 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Museums have an untapped potential to engage students in hands-on learning. Here, we describe the development of a tiered museum-based program at the University of California, Berkeley as a model for engaging undergraduates in biodiversity science. This decade-long effort to increase student participation in collections demonstrates the mutual benefits of undergraduate involvement. Museums benefit from critical help in collections care and an increased intellectual vitality, while students simultaneously gain essential research skills and an unparalleled exposure to biodiversity. Five first steps to creating a program are: dedicate a coordinator, offer credit, diversify participation, create a tiered structure, and build community.
| S-EPMC5716603 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesThe study aimed to explore the experiences of nursing undergraduates participating in a simulation-centred educational program in hospice care in Macao, China.MethodsThis descriptive qualitative study was based on the data collected through semi-structured individual interviews. Seventeen nursing undergraduates in Macao, China who attended the simulation-centred program in hospice care participated in this qualitative from November to December 2020. This program included three parts: introduction to hospice care (2 h), management of terminal symptoms (10 h), and hospice situation simulations (6 h). The interview data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.ResultsThis study revealed two themes and six sub-themes. Theme 1 was developing competencies in caring for dying patients and their families, which included four subcategories of sensitivity to patients' needs, knowledge of hospice care, skills of symptom control and comfort supply, and communication skills. Theme 2 was improving the ability to self-care and support colleagues, which included two subcategories of reflection on life and death and sharing and supporting among colleagues.ConclusionThis program improved the competency of nursing undergraduates in hospice care and participants' learning experience was good.
| S-EPMC9587394 | biostudies-literature