Promoting Inclusivity in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavioral Biology Education Through Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences

Overview

Journal Bioscience

Publisher Oxford University Press

Specialties Biology
Reproductive Medicine

Date 2024 Sep 4

PMID 39229624

Authors

Jake A Funkhouser

Megan Gregory

Crickette Sanz

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Access to independent research experiences is a persistent barrier that stifles the recruitment and retention of students from diverse backgrounds in ecology, evolution, and behavioral biology. The benefits of field experiences are not equitably available to historically excluded and minoritized students. In this article, we summarize evidence that indicates course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) provide a solution to ensure equitable access to independent research experiences in the life sciences. We draw from our own experiences of teaching CUREs in ecology, evolution, and behavioral biology and provide the complete curriculum for our effective and largely materials-free CURE in behavioral ecology (CURE-BxEco). We advocate for greater access to and synthesize the benefits of CUREs to promote inclusivity in education. The proliferation of such innovative pedagogical practices benefits science because these classroom methods are critical in recruiting and retaining historically excluded and minoritized students, who offer diverse perspectives in research.

References

Demery A, Pipkin M . Safe fieldwork strategies for at-risk individuals, their supervisors and institutions. Nat Ecol Evol. 2020; 5(1):5-9. DOI: 10.1038/s41559-020-01328-5. View

Bandura A . Self-efficacy: toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychol Rev. 1977; 84(2):191-215. DOI: 10.1037//0033-295x.84.2.191. View

Hofstra B, Kulkarni V, Galvez S, He B, Jurafsky D, McFarland D . The Diversity-Innovation Paradox in Science. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020; 117(17):9284-9291. PMC: 7196824. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1915378117. View

Turner A, Challa A, Cooper K . Student Perceptions of Authoring a Publication Stemming from a Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE). CBE Life Sci Educ. 2021; 20(3):ar46. PMC: 8715815. DOI: 10.1187/cbe.21-02-0051. View

Ballen C, Blum J, Brownell S, Hebert S, Hewlett J, Klein J . A Call to Develop Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) for Nonmajors Courses. CBE Life Sci Educ. 2017; 16(2). PMC: 5459265. DOI: 10.1187/cbe.16-12-0352. View

Ballen C, Wieman C, Salehi S, Searle J, Zamudio K . Enhancing Diversity in Undergraduate Science: Self-Efficacy Drives Performance Gains with Active Learning. CBE Life Sci Educ. 2017; 16(4). PMC: 5749958. DOI: 10.1187/cbe.16-12-0344. View

Emery N, Hund A, Burks R, Duffy M, Scoffoni C, Swei A . Students as ecologists: Strategies for successful mentorship of undergraduate researchers. Ecol Evol. 2019; 9(8):4316-4326. PMC: 6476758. DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5090. View

Harris B, McCarthy P, Wright A, Schutz H, Boersma K, Shepherd S . From panic to pedagogy: Using online active learning to promote inclusive instruction in ecology and evolutionary biology courses and beyond. Ecol Evol. 2020; 10(22):12581-12612. PMC: 7679552. DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6915. View

Eberlein T, Kampmeier J, Minderhout V, Moog R, Platt T, Varma-Nelson P . Pedagogies of engagement in science: A comparison of PBL, POGIL, and PLTL*. Biochem Mol Biol Educ. 2009; 36(4):262-273. PMC: 2665262. DOI: 10.1002/bmb.20204. View

10.

Connors P, Lanier H, Erb L, Varner J, Dizney L, Flaherty E . Connected While Distant: Networking CUREs Across Classrooms to Create Community and Empower Students. Integr Comp Biol. 2021; 61(3):934-943. DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab146. View

11.

Holland J, Pawlikowska T . Undergraduate Medical Students' Usage and Perceptions of Anatomical Case-Based Learning: Comparison of Facilitated Small Group Discussions and eLearning Resources. Anat Sci Educ. 2018; 12(3):245-256. DOI: 10.1002/ase.1824. View

12.

Shinbrot X, Treibergs K, Hernandez L, Esparza D, Ghezzi-Kopel K, Goebel M . The Impact of Field Courses on Undergraduate Knowledge, Affect, Behavior, and Skills: A Scoping Review. Bioscience. 2022; 72(10):1007-1017. PMC: 9525126. DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biac070. View

13.

Hughes B, Kothari S . Don't Be Too Political: Depoliticization, Sexual Orientation, and Undergraduate STEM Major Persistence. J Homosex. 2021; 70(4):632-659. DOI: 10.1080/00918369.2021.1996101. View

14.

Syed M, Zurbriggen E, Chemers M, Goza B, Bearman S, Crosby F . The Role of Self-Efficacy and Identity in Mediating the Effects of STEM Support Experiences. Anal Soc Issues Public Policy. 2020; 19(1):7-49. PMC: 7009288. DOI: 10.1111/asap.12170. View

15.

Garcia-Pelegrin E, Clark F, Miller R . Increasing animal cognition research in zoos. Zoo Biol. 2022; 41(4):281-291. DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21674. View

16.

Totonchi D, Perez T, Lee Y, Robinson K, Linnenbrink-Garcia L . The Role of Stereotype Threat in Ethnically Minoritized Students' Science Motivation: A Four-Year Longitudinal Study of Achievement and Persistence in STEM. Contemp Educ Psychol. 2022; 67. PMC: 8775166. DOI: 10.1016/j.cedpsych.2021.102015. View

17.

Theobald E, Hill M, Tran E, Agrawal S, Arroyo E, Behling S . Active learning narrows achievement gaps for underrepresented students in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and math. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020; 117(12):6476-6483. PMC: 7104254. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1916903117. View

18.

Shortlidge E, Bangera G, Brownell S . Each to Their Own CURE: Faculty Who Teach Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences Report Why You Too Should Teach a CURE. J Microbiol Biol Educ. 2017; 18(2). PMC: 5440172. DOI: 10.1128/jmbe.v18i2.1260. View

19.

Valliere J . Cultivating scientific literacy and a sense of place through course-based urban ecology research. Ecol Evol. 2022; 12(6):e8985. PMC: 9163374. DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8985. View

20.

Millstone E, van Zwanenberg P . A crisis of trust: for science, scientists or for institutions?. Nat Med. 2000; 6(12):1307-8. DOI: 10.1038/82102. View