About

Today’s guest is a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at BGSU. He was formerly the Director of the BGSU Marine Biology Program from 1994-1999, the Director of the Center for Neuroscience, Mind & Behavior from 2000-2002, and the Director of the University Honors Program from 2002-2012.Today’s guest has also been the Director of the Laboratory for Sensory Ecology since 1994. The Laboratory for Sensory Ecology is a multi-disciplinary lab that is interested in any questions concerning sensory behavior, evolution, physiology, and ecology. Most of their current projects are centered on understanding the role that chemical signals play in an organism's ecological role. They have projects that range from understanding the physics behind antennae design, predator avoidance, selection of habitats and mates, dominance hierarchies and other social behaviors to analyzing the chemical composition of these signals.He is a former professor of mine, a colleague, friend, and mentor. Please Welcome Dr. Paul Moore._______________________Table of Contents:00:00 - Introduction - Undergraduate Research & Mentoring05:40 - Interview with Dr. Paul Moore_______________________Interact with Dr. Partin and the Teaching and Learning Professor community at:https://www.facebook.com/theteachingandlearningprofessor/_______________________Support this podcast at RedCircle— DONATE TODAY!!I'm using your donation to buy a new microphone and studio equipment to improve my sound. I need coffee too :-)_______________________URE vs CUREUndergraduate Research Experiences (UREs) and Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) have recently become very popular among STEM disciplines in colleges and universities in the United States. UREs are usually limited to few students and competitive. Students who apply for UREs are typically highly interested in research, high achieving, and motivated. Students work closely with faculty, post-doctoral researchers, or graduate students during a summer, semester, year, or longer. CUREs are embedded in a course as part of the curriculum and typically only last for one semester, but they may span 2 or more courses. However, CUREs may put a strain on the professor teaching the course because they need to oversee many student’s simultaneously.BenefitsUndergraduate research offers opportunities for independent research, experience in the field of study, and professional mentoring. There is evidence suggesting that undergraduate research benefits students by preparing them to become scientists and the experience may retain students in the sciences (Graham, et al., 2013). Furthermore, the results of an undergraduate research project may be published in a peer-reviewed journal with the student as a coauthor. Today’s guest will talk about the process and benefits of publishing.MentorsHowever, Linn et al. (2015) believe the benefits of undergraduate research have been poorly studied and that positive outcomes may be due primarily to mentoring. They state that mentoring is essential for undergraduates considering careers in the sciences and one of the main benefits of undergraduate research may be undergraduates close proximity to faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and other members of the lab who help mentor the students. Mentors may serve as guides who orient the undergraduates and help them make connections among their experiences. They may also serve as role models, provide professional socialization, and facilitate the undergraduate’s professional identity as a scientist.Mentor BenefitsLinn et al. (2015) back up their claims by citing a several studies including one indicating that students who feel they are supported by faculty are more likely to attend graduate school (Eagan et al., 2013) and a study indicating higher rates of attrition among students with inadequate interactions with mentors (Thiry, et al., 2011). They also cite a study indicating that student’s confidence in science proficiency and their likelihood to pursue a research career correlates with the number of mentor meetings (Taraban & Logue, 2012).How Long?In self-report surveys, students typically rate their UREs and CUREs highly. However, in a 2011 paper by Thiry, et al., the authors explain that continuous participation in a URE of three or more semesters is required for a student to build identity as a scientist. They also explain that short-term or patchy URE involvement could have negative outcomes (Thiry, et al., 2011).At Least a YearIt seems that many students need at least a year to gain an adequate appreciation of concepts and techniques used in a particular lab. Linn et al. (2015) explain that during the first year of a URE, students spend most of their time setting up and conducting an experiment. That leaves little or no time devoted to understanding theory, philosophy, or concepts. Furthermore, students may not be adequately trained to interpret their results.CUREs may be the CureThe level of student understanding of underlying theories and concepts may be higher in CUREs than in UREs (Thiry, et al.,2012). CUREs typically incorporate lectures and readings with the study of a particular research question. The added formal instruction may allow students to make connections with prior knowledge, spend more time studying the topic, and more opportunities to ask questions. However, without adequate contact time between the student and professor, the student may not view the professor as a mentor.______________________REFERENCESEagan, M. K., Hurtado, S., Chang, M. J., Garcia, G. A., Herrera, F. A., & Garibay, J. C. (2013). Making a Difference in Science Education. American Educational Research Journal, 50(4), 683–713. doi: 10.3102/0002831213482038Fechheimer, M., Webber, K., & Kleiber, P. B. (2011). How Well Do Undergraduate Research Programs Promote Engagement and Success of Students? CBE—Life Sciences Education, 10(2), 156–163. doi: 10.1187/cbe.10-10-0130Graham, M. J., Frederick, J., Byars-Winston, A., Hunter, A.-B., & Handelsman, J. (2013). Increasing Persistence of College Students in STEM. Science, 341(6153), 1455–1456. doi: 10.1126/science.1240487Linn, M. C., Palmer, E., Baranger, A., Gerard, E., & Stone, E. (2015). Undergraduate research experiences: Impacts and opportunities. Science, 347(6222), 1261757. doi: 10.1126/science.1261757Taraban, R., & Logue, E. (2012). Academic factors that affect undergraduate research experiences. Journal of Educational Psychology, 104(2), 499–514. doi: 10.1037/a0026851Thiry, H., Laursen, S. L., & Hunter, A.-B. (2011). What Experiences Help Students Become Scientists?: A Comparative Study of Research and Other Sources of Personal and Professional Gains for STEM Undergraduates. The Journal of Higher Education, 82(4), 357–388. doi: 10.1353/jhe.2011.0023Thiry, H., Weston, T. J., Laursen, S. L., & Hunter, A.-B. (2012). The Benefits of Multi-Year Research Experiences: Differences in Novice and Experienced Students’ Reported Gains from Undergraduate Research. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 11(3), 260–272. doi: 10.1187/cbe.11-11-0098Thompson, S. K., Neill, C. J., Wiederhoeft, E., & Cotner, S. (2016). A Model for a Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) in a Field Setting †. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education, 17(3), 469–471. doi: 10.1128/jmbe.v17i3.1142Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-teaching-and-learning-professor/donations