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Best prac*ce for Undergraduate Research
Experiences
– Developing Authen*c Large-‐Scale Undergraduate
Research Experiences (ALUREs) in your Science
Course
Developing and resourcing academics to help students conduct and communicate
undergraduate research on a large scale
Team%ALURE%From%le(%Dr%Susan%Rowland%2%Primary%Project%Leader%([email protected]),%Co2leaders%Dr%Gwen%Lawrie%and%Dr%Kirsten%Zimbardi,%Team%members%Dr%Jack%Wang%and%Dr%Paula%MyaL,%and%Project%manager%Mr%Peter%Worthy%%%
What is an ALURE?
Less student autonomy & responsibility
More student autonomy & responsibility
“Cookbook”
Guided inquiry
Open inquiry
Research internship
• Hands-‐on research in the undergraduate-‐course laboratory • Projects are part of authen*c research iniKaKves and
results are communicated to “someone who cares” • Allows many students to parKcipate in research • Improve student access to research and research training • Varies by year level, desired learning outcomes, and
discipline – no single model
Best pracKce: The genesis of the Implementer’s Checklists for ALURE
• 4 checklists • Checklist use is not a linear process
• Checklists can be used individually, but they are all helpful tools for implementers to cover and revisit during ALURE planning, design, implementaKon, and evaluaKon.
Today’s workshop
The workshop will focus on 4 essenKal elements:
The authen*c nature of an ALURE
The need for a research ques*on
Learning from the experiences of others
Establishing a network
What does an ALURE look like?
AuthenKc Large-‐scale Undergraduate Research Experience
Generate ‘new’ data … no ‘right’ answer!
Skill building & Research phases
Experimental Design
Peer support sessions (PASS)
Access to advanced analyKcal instruments
Working on problem linked
to real researcher
Weaver, GC, Russell, CB, and Wink, DJ (2008) Inquiry-‐based and research-‐based laboratory pedagogies in undergraduate science. Nature Chem. Biol. 4 577-‐80.
Context: AnKoxidant acKvity in Food and Drinks.
Wide range of research quesKons possible.
1st Year Chemistry UQ CASPiE URE
Authen*c assessment: • laboratory notebook • poster presentaKon of their
research quesKon, data, and discussion
Posters: students explain their raKonale, display their data and draw links between their outcomes and their research quesKons. This promotes deeper thinking about laboratory learning.
Assessment & Learning Gains from URE
16S rRNA DNA sequencing
2ND Year Micro UQ ALURE: Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?
The Context of your ALURE
• Context has a big influence on ALURE design. ALUREs may vary dramaKcally in their scope and complexity when offered to first, second or third year students, and differ across disciplines.
• ALURES are olen discipline specific – look for examples within (and outside) your discipline.
• As with all T&L innovaKons use the literature!!
AcKvity: using pg 3 of the Checklist (3 min)
Using your Checklist, please make notes in the boxes on page 3.
This is an individual acKvity to help you define the context for your ALURE.
Some notes about the Checklist:
• The Checklist is structured to support your design of an ALURE.
• Where appropriate, use the dot points on each page to guide your thinking.
• You may need to return to some items to revise your answers as you proceed.
• You may not know all of the answers at the beginning – or you will want to refine them later!
Your research QuesKon
By the end of this acKvity you should have a nascent research quesKon that your ALURE students will address. You can refine it as you progress through the session.
Your research ques*on: • Should let students engage in an acKvity that
will impart key scienKfic skills (laboratory, criKcal reasoning, communicaKon).
• May also be discipline specific.
• Should support a project where students will have to assess their progress and make decisions.
• Should be something that gives the course coordinator the capacity to troubleshoot problems that will occur.
• The ALURE project should allow the students to generate new knowledge that maners to someone.
• Ideally, ALURE students communicate
their science to someone who cares ! An interested researcher ! Students in the subsequent year ! The public
• This means they must communicate their real results, rather than idealised “correct” results.
• This also means that students must keep meKculous records, because their results maner.
Designing for AuthenKcity
• Turn to pg 5 of the checklist.
• An an individual, consider the quesKon below (5 min).
• Aler you have considered it on your own, discuss it with your table-‐mates.
• We will discuss your answers with the group (15 min).
• In what way/s does your ALURE offer an authen*c research experience?
Designing for AuthenKcity
The rest of the checklist is Homework
Challenges: ! Design and delivery of ALUREs can be Kme-‐intensive (especially in the first
iteraKon) ! Resource implicaKons (equipment, lab and academic staff Kme, and tutor
training, troubleshooKng Kme will extend over mulKple iteraKons). ! AddiKonal cogniKve load for the students (more student support needed unKl
the students take ownership, student expectaKons must be managed) Benefits: ! Students should arrive in the research labs with bener preparaKon ! Students show increased willingness to take risks and challenge themselves ! Students report increased confidence in designing experiments and criKcal
evaluaKon of results ! Students have more informaKon about potenKal career choices ! Students take ownership of the project and engage with it as authenKc
research
