Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA.
Integr Comp Biol. 2021 Oct 4;61(3):981-991. doi: 10.1093/icb/icab006.
Early exposure to course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) in introductory biology courses can promote positive student outcomes such as increased confidence, critical thinking, and views of applicability in lower-level courses, but it is unknown if these same impacts are achieved by upper-level courses. Upper-level courses differ from introductory courses in several ways, and one difference that could impact these positive student outcomes is the importance of balancing structure with independence in upper-level CUREs where students typically have more autonomy and greater complexity in their research projects. Here we compare and discuss two formats of upper-level biology CUREs (Guided and Autonomous) that vary along a continuum between structure and independence. We share our experiences teaching an upper-level CURE in two different formats and contrast those formats through student reported perceptions of confidence, professional applicability, and CURE format. Results indicate that the Guided Format (i.e., a more even balance between structure and independence) led to more positive impacts on student outcomes than the Autonomous Format (less structure and increased independence). We review the benefits and drawbacks of each approach while considering the unique elements of upper-level courses relative to lower-level courses. We conclude with a discussion of how implementing structured skill-building can assist instructors in adapting CUREs to their courses.
早期接触基础生物学课程中的基于课程的本科生研究经验 (CURE) 可以促进学生的积极成果，例如增强信心、批判性思维以及对较低水平课程的适用性的看法，但尚不清楚这些相同的影响是否可以通过高级课程实现。高级课程在多个方面与入门课程不同，一个可能影响这些积极学生成果的差异是在高级 CURE 中平衡结构与独立性的重要性，在这种情况下，学生通常在研究项目中具有更大的自主权和更高的复杂性。在这里，我们比较和讨论了两种不同的高级生物学 CURE 格式（指导型和自主型），它们在结构和独立性之间的连续体上有所不同。我们分享了在两种不同格式下教授高级 CURE 的经验，并通过学生对自信心、专业适用性和 CURE 格式的感知来对比这些格式。结果表明，与自主型格式（较少的结构和增加的独立性）相比，指导型格式（即结构和独立性之间更平衡）对学生的学习成果产生了更积极的影响。我们在考虑高级课程相对于低级课程的独特元素的同时，回顾了每种方法的优缺点。最后，我们讨论了如何实施结构化技能培养，以帮助教师根据自己的课程调整 CURE。
