A course-based research experience: how benefits change with increased investment in instructional time

There is widespread agreement that science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs should provide undergraduates with research experience. Practical issues and limited resources, however, make this a challenge. We have developed a bioinformatics project that provides a course-based research experience for students at a diverse group of schools and offers the opportunity to tailor this experience to local curriculum and institution-specific student needs. We assessed both attitude and knowledge gains, looking for insights into how students respond given this wide range of curricular and institutional variables. While different approaches all appear to result in learning gains, we find that a significant investment of course time is required to enable students to show gains commensurate to a summer research experience. An alumni survey revealed that time spent on a research project is also a significant factor in the value former students assign to the experience one or more years later. We conclude: 1) implementation of a bioinformatics project within the biology curriculum provides a mechanism for successfully engaging large numbers of students in undergraduate research; 2) benefits to students are achievable at a wide variety of academic institutions; and 3) successful implementation of course-based research experiences requires significant investment of instructional time for students to gain full benefit

A central support system can facilitate implementation and sustainability of a Classroom-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) in Genomics

In their 2012 report, the President\u27s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology advocated replacing standard science laboratory courses with discovery-based research courses -a challenging proposition that presents practical and pedagogical difficulties. In this paper, we describe our collective experiences working with the Genomics Education Partnership, a nationwide faculty consortium that aims to provide undergraduates with a research experience in genomics through a scheduled course (a classroom-based undergraduate research experience, or CURE). We examine the common barriers encountered in implementing a CURE, program elements of most value to faculty, ways in which a shared core support system can help, and the incentives for and rewards of establishing a CURE on our diverse campuses. While some of the barriers and rewards are specific to a research project utilizing a genomics approach, other lessons learned should be broadly applicable. We find that a central system that supports a shared investigation can mitigate some shortfalls in campus infrastructure (such as time for new curriculum development, availability of IT services) and provides collegial support for change. Our findings should be useful for designing similar supportive programs to facilitate change in the way we teach science for undergraduates

Ondernemender Er op af in de Sociale Sector

Dit artikel dient als ondersteuning of voor verdere oriëntatie bij dit hoofdstuk in het boek ‘Ondernemen in Welzijn´ (uitgeverij Eburon

Ondernemen in Welzijn

Er verandert veel in het welzijnswerk. Dit heeft gevolgen voor de sociaal werkers en de wijkbewoners die zij ondersteunen. Ondernemen in Welzijn laat zien welke veranderingen er gaande zijn, wat de gevolgen daarvan zijn en welke rol ondernemender gedrag en ondernemerschap daarbij kunnen spelen. Het brengt de ontwikkelingen in kaart als gevolg van de nieuwe kaders voor het werk (Wmo en Welzijn Nieuwe Stijl) en de bezuinigingen. Met uitgebreid casusmateriaal wordt deze andere aanpak tot op het niveau van de dagelijkse praktijk uitgewerkt. Ondernemen in Welzijn is daarmee geschikt voor studenten sociaal werk, welzijnswerkers in de praktijk en belangstellenden, bijvoorbeeld beleidsmedewerkers, die geïnformeerd willen worden over de gehele sector. Voor leidinggevenden en hrm-ers maakt Ondernemen in Welzijn inzichtelijk dat intern ondernemend werken ook een organisatieverandering vergt. Een individuele welzijnswerker kan wel ondernemend willen werken, maar bij blokkades door de organisatie, bijvoorbeeld een egalitaire teamcultuur, top-down management of te strakke procedures, lukt dit niet. Een omslag in de aanpak van het werk is echter hard nodig. Versterkte inzet van HRM-instrumenten en een andere stijl van leidinggeven zijn onontbeerlijk

Auxin Control of Root Development

A plant's roots system determines both the capacity of a sessile organism to acquire nutrients and water, as well as providing a means to monitor the soil for a range of environmental conditions. Since auxins were first described, there has been a tight connection between this class of hormones and root development. Here we review some of the latest genetic, molecular, and cellular experiments that demonstrate the importance of generating and maintaining auxin gradients during root development. Refinements in the ability to monitor and measure auxin levels in root cells coupled with advances in our understanding of the sources of auxin that contribute to these pools represent important contributions to our understanding of how this class of hormones participates in the control of root development. In addition, we review the role of identified molecular components that convert auxin gradients into local differentiation events, which ultimately defines the root architecture