Interface 2021 - Engaging Diverse Teams of Students in Research via Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs)

Undergraduate research is a high-impact educational practice that can provide students with a wealth of benefits— including increased content knowledge, transferable skills, a greater interest in the discipline, enhanced critical thinking abilities, and self-confidence. Often, these research experiences take the form of 1-on-1 assistantships; however, this approach is limited in terms of the number of students it can reach and there are many barriers that may prevent students from seeking out these opportunities. In this session, we will explore a different model in which students work in collaborative teams on a shared, novel research project as part of their undergraduate coursework. These course-based undergraduate research experiences (or CUREs) can provide many of the same benefits as a traditional 1-on-1 assistantship, but with added benefits such as cultivating productive collaboration skills and reaching a wider audience of students, including many that are presently underrepresented in academia. By the end of this interactive workshop, participants will gain a better understanding of how CUREs are structured and leave with concrete strategies and resources for incorporating CUREs into their own curricula. Although we will primarily explore examples from biology, this workshop is applicable for instructors in any research-driven discipline, including STEM fields, the humanities, business, and beyond.