BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES OF COURSE-BASED UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH EXPERIENCES (CURES) FOR STEM STUDENTS: A REPORT FROM THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES, ENGINEERING, AND MEDICINE (Invited Presentation)

Undergraduate research has a rich history, and many practicing researchers point to undergraduate research experiences (UREs) as crucial to their own career success. Ongoing efforts to improve undergraduate education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) focus on increasing active engagement of students and decreasing traditional lecture-based teaching. UREs have been proposed as an opportune way to actively engage students and may be a key strategy for broadening participation and retention in STEM. Course-based UREs (CUREs) are growing in popularity as a way to both increase the number of students participating in research as well as broaden access to research for members of historically underrepresented groups.

As the focus on UREs has grown, so have the questions about their impact, the diversity of the student participants, and the benefits provided by the research experience. Undergraduate Research Experiences for STEM Students: Successes, Challenges, and Opportunities (2017), a report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), examines what is currently known about the effectiveness of UREs. Based on emerging evidence, the report concludes that participation in UREs is beneficial for students and increases their persistence in STEM. This report provides practical guidance on factors to consider during the development and implementation of URE programs. It also recommends that researchers, institutions, and funders work together to strengthen the evidence base on these experiences to improve our understanding of how they may benefit students.

While the NASEM report addresses many types of UREs, at this meeting we will emphasize the elements associated specifically with CUREs: design/implementation, challenges, reported benefits, assessment strategies, and recommendations for future applications.