Students Who Analyze Their Own Data in a Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) Show Gains in Scientific Identity and Emotional Ownership of Research

Overview

Journal J Microbiol Biol Educ

Publisher American Society for Microbiology

Specialty Biology

Date 2020 Dec 9

PMID 33294095

Citations 26

Authors

Katelyn M Cooper

Matthew L Knope

Maya J Munstermann

Sara E Brownell

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

While it has been established that course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) lead to student benefits, it is less clear what aspects of CUREs lead to such gains. In this study, we aimed to understand the effect of students analyzing their own data, compared with students analyzing data that had been collected by professional scientists. We compared the experiences of students in a CURE investigating whether the extinction risk status of terrestrial mammals and birds is associated with their ecological traits. Students in the CURE were randomly assigned to analyze either data that they had collected or data previously collected by professional scientists. All other aspects of the student experience were designed to be identical. We found that students who analyzed their own data showed significantly greater gains in scientific identity and emotional ownership than students who analyzed data collected by professional scientists.

Citing Articles

Applying Beer's Law in the undergraduate cell biology laboratory: examining the mathematical relationship between optical density, cell concentration, and cell size using budding yeast.

Brito S, Rohan W, Buffum-Robbins I, Reyes Osorio P, Tribble A, Segarra V J Microbiol Biol Educ. 2024; 25(3):e0013624.

PMID: 39535215 PMC: 11636091. DOI: 10.1128/jmbe.00136-24.

"It let me merge my love of teaching with research": A qualitative investigation of the career pathways of biology education researchers.

Driessen E, Steele A, Costello R, Brewer P, Ballen C PLoS One. 2024; 19(10):e0312243.

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Advanced biology students' individual conceptions of scientific researchers after participating in biomedically relevant CRE.

Waring-Sparks A, Waring-Sparks R, Darner R, Mortimer N J Microbiol Biol Educ. 2024; 25(3):e0018323.

PMID: 39189730 PMC: 11636289. DOI: 10.1128/jmbe.00183-23.

Activity for CUREs to increase student understanding and application of responsible authorship and publication practices.

Wilson K, Mitchel A J Microbiol Biol Educ. 2024; 25(2):e0000924.

PMID: 39012127 PMC: 11360547. DOI: 10.1128/jmbe.00009-24.

Fostering student authorship skills in synthetic biology.

Roberts L, Farny N Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2024; 12:1409763.

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