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Undergraduate Research as Capstone: Marking Trends and Developing Strategies Henry Biggs, PhD Associate Dean and Director, Undergraduate Research Washington University in St Louis PEW Symposium: March 3-5, 2006 HTTP://UR.WUSTL.EDU. Profile of Washington University.
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Undergraduate Research as Capstone: Marking Trends and Developing StrategiesHenry Biggs, PhDAssociate Dean and Director, Undergraduate ResearchWashington University in St Louis PEW Symposium: March 3-5, 2006HTTP://UR.WUSTL.EDU
Profile of Washington University • Approx 5,000 Arts & Sciences Undergraduates • Formation of Undergraduate Research Office –2005
Thumbnail of Research Activity:Defining the Data • How is following data for “research” defined? • Independent Study, Independent Work • “Honors Research” • Course, with “Research” in the title, e.g., “Research Seminar”, “Introduction to Research”
Follow up Questions • Nice trendline, but how advanced is the research being conducted? • Who is doing it?
Notes • Note that pie charts are cumulative from last 5 years; previous graphs are trendlines • Heavy 500 Research, approx 50% • Heavy Bio Research, also approx 50% • Not surprisingly, highest cumulative enrollment is in Bio 500 • Finally, what are summer research opps?
Summer Research Opps • Hoopes—new • Goldman—New • Beckman • HHMI • All REU’s Not Included, data pending, believe will be significant • Isolated Individual Scholarships from alumni
WU STRATEGY 1: MAXIMIZE SUMMER RESEARCH OPPS • WHY? The most focused of all research opps available so best capstone experience; promotes rigor, self-efficacy
STRATEGY 2: OVERCOME/ATTACK STUDENT FEAR FACTOR • Encouraging more students that they are worthy of participating in a lab and being part of a research experience. • Smoothing the channels • Online access to opps • Online access to appts • Calls to students meeting criteria—”here’s your research opp”
STRATEGY 3: INCREASE FUNDING TO PROMOTE STRATEGY 1! • Working with A & D to ask sponsors for single undergraduate summer research experience • Grantwriting—focus on new UR Office as Collaborative hub
Why Research as Capstone? • NSF notes benefits of research, but has it been tested and documented?
Effects of Types of Research • Elizabeth Berkes, Washington University • (eberkes@wustl.edu) • Students who participate in biology laboratory internships have a significantly higher self-efficacy score than students who have not interned in a biology laboratory. • An increase in Biology Self-Efficacy has a significant positive impact on desire to persist in science. • Early data suggests that simply working in a lab does not have such an effect—it is only the more involved lab research experience that promotes self-efficacy and improves persistence
Undergraduate Research as Capstone: Marking Trends and Developing StrategiesHenry Biggs, PhDAssociate Dean and Director, Undergraduate Research(Washington University in St Louis) PEW Symposium: March 3-5, 2006HTTP://UR.WUSTL.EDU