Abstract
Problems of STEM retention overflow into the workforce, as there is a nationally recognized shortage of STEM professionals. Traditional undergraduate research experiences (tUREs) are high-impact practices that have been shown to increase retention for all STEM students and provide students with the skills they need for future careers in science. However, not all students have access to tUREs, particularly for students from historically disadvantaged backgrounds. Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) are a proposed solution to increasing tURE access for all students by embedding research curricula into courses students are already taking for their degree programs. CUREs, which have been shown to benefit students similarly to tUREs, are characterized by several curricular design elements: the use of scientific practices, discovery of novel data, broad relevance outside of the classroom, iteration, collaboration, and communication or dissemination. To address the problem of tURE access and equity at our institution, the Sustainable Interdisciplinary Research to Inspire Undergraduate Success (SIRIUS) Project was developed as a programmatic series of CUREs, spanning biological disciplines and course levels, from introductory to advanced. SIRIUS had three aims, which are: 1) increase research opportunities for students, 2) scaffold the curriculum such that students have multiple opportunities to build research skills and view problems from different perspectives, and 3) support a community of practice studying an important local issue. Developed through a multi-year faculty learning community (FLC), SIRIUS included 10 courses in the Department of Biological Sciences and offered students multiple exposures to thematically related CUREs. SIRIUS has been ongoing since 2014 and is currently expanding its purview to the local community college district, so it is important to understand the impacts SIRIUS has on curricula and on students. This study is guided by three main theoretical frameworks: the CURE framework, serving as a model for CURE curricula and student outcomes; Situated Learning Theory, which guided SIRIUS development and implementation; and Social Cognitive Career Theory, which informs the impact of students’ goals on their perceptions of SIRIUS. Authenticity, as defined by Rowland et al., (2016) also provided context about the impacts of student perceptions of project authenticity. The specific aims of this study are to: 1) evaluate how closely SIRIUS curricula adheres to the CURE framework and understand how each course contributes to the development of a set of skills needed for careers in biology; 2) understand the awareness, understanding, and perceptions students have about SIRUS and how these perceptions may be impacted by their career goals and experience with tUREs; and 3) understand the impact of SIRIUS on students’ future goals in introductory, intermediate, and advanced course levels. All data collection took place at CSUS from students, faculty, and SIRIUS archives.
To assess SIRIUS curricula, curricular artifacts – syllabi, laboratory manuals, course schedules, SIRIUS introductory materials, and other relevant documents – from eight SIRIUS courses were analyzed via qualitative document analysis. Using the CURE design elements as a checklist, all SIRIUS courses fully satisfied CURE criteria based on curriculum analysis and additional documentation. Thus, SIRIUS courses selected for this analysis are confirmed to be considered CUREs, demonstrating the FLC activities adequately prepared faculty to design and implement SIRIUS CUREs. Scientific skills, which emerged from analysis and were scored on a scale from peripheral to central research tasks, were scaffolded across SIRIUS curricula, demonstrating that students built skills as they progressed through the SIRIUS program.
To explore students’ awareness, understanding, and perceptions of SIRIUS, interviews were conducted on 25 biology majors nearing graduation. The semi-structured interviews contained five parts: (1) Career Goals, (2) Skills Development, (3) Research Experiences, (4) Card Sort Activity, (5) Knowledge and Perceptions of the SIRIUS Project. SIRIUS was intentionally not mentioned until the final section of the interview. Data were qualitatively analyzed using open coding and constant comparative techniques. Participants’ responses were compared by their career goal (Researcher, n=11; Healthcare, n=11; Other, n=3) and by their tURE participation (tURE + SIRIUS, n=18; SIRIUS Only, n=7).
To evaluate the impact of SIRIUS curricula on students’ future goals across course levels, the five-item Future Goals Survey, which targets students’ interest in different scientific career pathways, was administered between Fall 2015 and Spring 2019 semesters, spanning SIRIUS course levels. Quantitative analysis included chi square tests of homogeneity to determine differences in item numbers and levels, as well as demographic variables, including ethnicity, sex, income, first-generation college student status, and transfer student status.
In conclusion, this study contributes to the evaluation of one conceptually linked CURE program (SIRIUS). Here, we demonstrate that SIRIUS curricula in which students engage are indeed CUREs, which are scaffolded to gradually build students’ skills. We also find that students articulate benefits of their participation in SIRIUS and students in advanced-level courses are more interested in research-based careers than students in introductory and intermediate levels. The benefits and authenticity perceived by students contributes to the growing literature on CUREs by demonstrating success of the FLC, a professional development activity, that developed and implemented SIRIUS and confirms the goals of SIRIUS are being met.