engaging new audiences in research by teaching the process of science

Engaging new audiences in research by teaching the process of science

Council on Undergraduate Research2010 National Conference

Anne E. Egger, Stanford UniversityAnthony Carpi, John Jay College–CUNY

Who are we?• Who are you?• What is your institution type?• What do you do to attract students to

research?• What do you do to prepare students

for research?

Non-traditional audience:Freshmen and sophomores

• Challenge #1: getting them to even think about studying the Earth sciences

• Challenge #2: engaging them in research as freshmen and sophomores without much background knowledge

• Two solutions: EarthSci 1 and EarthSci 100

EarthSci 1Current research in the Earth and environmental

sciencesInstructor Anne Egger

53 full-time faculty4 departments

300+ graduate students

Faculty you’ll meet this quarter

• Jonathan Payne, GES• Greg Beroza, Geophysics• Chris Field, EESS (and recent Heinz Award

recipient)• Simon Klemperer, Geophysics (and recent

Cox Award recipient)• Wendy Mao, GES and SLAC• Kevin Arrigo, EESS• Sally Benson, ERE and Director of GCEP• Jen Wilcox, ERE

Your tasks• Listen, ask questions, write a short

response every week• Attend the Symposium for

Undergraduate Research and Public Service (SURPS) on Thursday, October 22

• Consider taking more classes, doing research, and/or majoring/minoring in the Earth sciences

Evaluations• “For a one-unit class, I felt I got a lot out

of this class. The lecturers were all very interesting and it was neat to become acquainted with various departments in the earth sciences.”

• “It was good to reflect on what interested us to see if that suggested a possible future course.”

EarthSci 100Research PreparationInstructors Anne Egger & Simon

Klemperer

Goals of this course• To introduce you to (or reinforce your

knowledge of) the process of scientific research

• To prepare you to have a successful summer research experience

• To build an active community of undergraduate researchers within the School of Earth Sciences

How we will achieve those goals

• Readings and discussion about the research process in general

• A series of short assignments about your research submitted through CourseWork

• Presentations by each of you about the work you’ll be doing and engagement in the culture of research in the school

Example assignment

Discussion• Strategies for readings scientific journal

articles• Strategies for using the literature• Using bibliographic tools like EndNote or

RefWorks

Follow-up assignment

No evaluations yet, but…• “I gained a lot from this class; some skills I

found particularly helpful were how to read scientific articles and how to interact with my mentor. I definitely feel more prepared for going into the field this summer, and I know what resources I should turn to if I have any questions.”

Non-traditional audience:Urban Hispanic and minority students• John Jay College:

– Largest HSI in Northeast– 13,346 undergraduates (Fall 2009)– 46% 1st Generation, 80% financial aid, 58% work– Entirely Commuter College– Within 2 buildings– Single Science Department– 22 faculty, 884 Majors (Fall 2009)– 96.4% Major Attrition, 76% College Attrition-

Science (1990’s)

What are our challenges?• What isn’t?• Challenge #1: What is research?• Challenge #2: Why should they do

research?• Challenge #3: How does it affect

their career options? • Challenge #4: Time, support,

training…

PRISM: The Program for Research Initiatives for

Science Majors

Program Components

• Winter Informational Sessions• Freshman Seminars• Sophomore Research Training• Student-Mentor Pairing• Research Symposium

Freshman, Sophomore, Upper Class concurrent sessions & joint lunchPathways, Practical Writing Skills

Lab Project, Ethics, Writing

Junior-Senior, FOS402

Research Symposium

• Research Poster Session• Outstanding Researcher Award• Keynote Speaker

Supporting materials

Teaching the Process of Science

FIPSE Funding 2006Advisory Panel

What is the Process of ScienceWhat are key conceptsPeer review of materialsHow do we assess understanding

www.visionlearning.com

The Process of ScienceSelected Key Concepts

• Science is a process of investigation into the natural world and the knowledge generated through that process.

• Scientific theories are testable explanations supported by multiple lines of evidence.

• Scientific knowledge evolves with new evidence and perspectives.• Science benefits from the creativity, curiosity, diversity, and diligence of

individuals. • The community of science engages in debate and mitigates human errors.• Uncertainty is inherent in nature, but scientists work to minimize and

quantify it in data collection and analysis.• Scientists value open and honest communication in reporting research.

www.visionlearning.com

Modules in the Process of Science

The Nature of Science

Research Methods

*In development

Scientific Communication

Scientific Data

Topics

Theories, Hypotheses, & LawsScientists & the Scientific CommunityScientific InstitutionsScientific EthicsThe Nature of Scientific Knowledge*Scientific Controversy*

Journals & ArticlesThe LiteraturePeer Review

Scientific Practice: ResearchComparisonDescriptionExperimentationModeling

Analysis & InterpretationUncertainty, Error & ConfidenceStatisticsUsing Graphs & Visual Data

www.visionlearning.com

www.visionlearning.com

Process Modules

Teaching the Process of Science

Resources for faculty