Undergraduate Research In The Sciences: Engaging Students In Real Science

Undergraduate research (UR) is widely believed to enhance the learning experience of students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs. This is the first comprehensive, practical, research-based book on undergraduate research. It addresses how the benefits to UR participants arise; compares the benefits of UR with other types of educational activities or experience; the long-term value of UR; and more. Intended to assist both existing and new UR practitioners with program design and evaluation needs, the book will also be useful to the wider community of academics, policy-makers, and funders of UR programs.

Sandra Laursen is a codirector and research associate for Ethnography & Evaluation Research (E&ER), part of the?Center to Advance Research and Teaching in the Social Sciences (CARTSS) at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Anne-Barrie Hunter is lead analyst and project organizer for the undergraduate research (UR) study.?An?E&ER member since 1991, she played a major role in evaluations for the College Board, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Project Kaleidoscope, and was recently the evaluator for several institutional UR programs. She is a member of the Council of Undergraduate Research Advisory Board on Assessment.

Elaine Seymour directed E&ER for 17 years. She coauthored a pioneering study, Talking About Leaving: Why undergraduates leave the sciences (1997), that helped to shape the national movement to reform undergraduate science education.

Heather Thiry has a PhD in education and has been the analyst of the comparative data sample for the UR study team.

Ginger Melton is a sociologist who was both analyst and consultant on minority issues for E&ER's qualitative study of the Significant Opportunities in Atmospheric Research and Science (SOARS) UR program for minority students at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.

The Authors.


Foreword.


Preface.


Acknowledgments.


1 What Is Undergraduate Research, and Why Does It Matter?


2 What Is Known About the Student Outcomes of Undergraduate Research?


3 What Do Students Gain from Conducting Research?


4 Are the Gains from Research Unique?


5 What Are the Career and Longer-Term Impacts of Undergraduate Research?


6 How Do Minority Students Benefit from Research?


7 How Do Research Advisors Work with Students?


8 How Do Research Advisors Mentor, Advise, and Evaluate Students?


9 What Are the Costs and Benefits to Research Advisors?


10 Summary, Implications, and Issues for the Future.


Appendix A: Interview Samples.


Appendix B: Research Design and Methodology.


Appendix C: Interview Protocols.


Appendix D: Detailed Frequency Counts for Observations of Student Gains.


References.


Index.