Understanding the relationship between protein structure and function is a core-learning goal in biochemistry. Students often struggle to visualize proteins as three-dimensional objects that interact with other molecules to affect its biochemical consequences. We describe here a partial course-based undergraduate research experiences that has…

Undergraduate research is a "high-impact" educational practice that enriches student learning and facilitates student career advancement. This sequential explanatory mixed methods study, composed of a quantitative online questionnaire followed by qualitative focus group interviews, sought to explore undergraduate student attitudes on…

This project introduces green chemistry to the undergraduate laboratory through two pedagogical techniques: undergraduate research and guided-inquiry. Through these two learning activities, an efficient synthetic procedure for the PRINS cyclization of citronellal into isopulegol, focused on minimizing negative environmental impact, was developed.…

To remain globally competitive, education in the United States must focus on retaining students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). As laboratory courses have the potential to be powerful attractors or deterrents to a field, developing effective laboratory pedagogies is important to retain students in STEM. A course-based…

Limiting the interpretation of "undergraduate research" to fields in the life, physical, and behavioral sciences has hampered understanding of its effects on students, faculty and institutions through campus-wide programs that support students creating original knowledge within their fields. At Florida Southern College, each academic…

Student researchers encounter ethical issues daily, but little is known about their unique perspectives. This article presents the results of 30 qualitative semi-structured interviews exploring students' views and experiences around ethical issues in research groups. During the interviews, students were asked to describe challenges and successes…

Students with concealable identities, those which are not always visually apparent, must navigate the difficult choice of whether to reveal their concealed identities--a choice that has been found to impact an individual's psychological well-being. Research that gives voice to those with concealable identities is highly lacking, and subsequently,…

The aim of this research was to determinate the relationship between formative research and the achievement of skills based on undergraduate theses in university higher education, considering three dimensions: student perception in the investigative endeavor, the role of the instructor and the institutional support in the process of building…

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) have emerged as a viable platform to engage large numbers of students in real-world scientific practices. Historically, CUREs have been offered throughout science, technology, engineering, and mathematics curricula at both the introductory and advanced levels and have been facilitated by a…

Given the increasing value placed on research among social work practitioners, and that field education is primarily responsible for the integration of social work values, knowledge, and practice, it is essential that research skills be incorporated into BSW and MSW field practica. In 2020, a team of faculty co-investigators and students explored…

Undergraduate research (UR) provides a sound academic foundation for student's personal and professional development. This study aims to provide understanding and investigate the best UR mentoring practices of university professors from various institutions and disciplines. A total of 20 semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysed using…

Undergraduate research and laboratory experiences provide a wide range of benefits to student learning in science and are integral to imbed authentic research experiences in biology labs. While the benefit of courses with research experience is widely accepted, it can be challenging to measure conceptual research skills in a quick and easily…

ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models (LLMs) have hit higher education by storm. Much of the research focuses on how this -- and similar -- tools can be leveraged for effective education of undergraduate coursework students. In this study, we explore the emerging benefits and limitations of ChatGPT and LLMs in…

This paper examines student experiences in a workshop-based undergraduate research experience studying the activity and inhibition of salivary amylase that provides students with the chance to participate in authentic scientific research prior to the start of their undergraduate studies, following the structure of a course-based undergraduate…

The measured value of systematic literature review and research synthesis for contributing to the professional development of undergraduate students is largely unknown. As such, opportunities to develop these skills may be underutilized by educators. Using quantitative and qualitative methods we assessed how the level of participation in an…