Korte, Cassandra S

Lecher, Alanna L

English

Lynn University: SPIRAL (Scholarly Publications, Institutional Repository and Archives at Lynn)

Implementing Course Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) across an Environmental Studies Curriculum ClassLiterature ReviewScientific Method TrainingFormal Research Project ProposalCollect DataPlot and Analyze DataComputer Skills (Excel, GIS, etc.)Field/Lab/Survey TechniquesScientific WritingFull ProjectENV 130: Human Environment Interactionsx x xSCI 130: Chemistry 1 x xSCI 110: Biology 1 x x x x x xDSL 100: Scientific Literacy x xSOC 200: Research Methods in Social Sciencesx x xDSL 200: Scientific Literacy x x x xDQR 200: Statistics x xENV 250: Environmental Risk and Public Healthx x x xENV 330: Wildlife Conservationx xENV 340: Environmental Statisticsx x x x x x xPOL 385: Global Environmental Policy & Justicex x x x x xENV 420: Geographic Information Systemsx x x x xENV 450: Capstone in Environmental Studiesx x x x x x1. Introduction 2. Skill-Building Across the Curriculum3. Lower-Division CUREs4. Upper-Division CUREsAlanna L. Lecher* & Cassandra KorteNatural and Applied Sciences, Lynn University, Boca Raton, FL, *alecher@lynn.eduTable 1: How CURE-essential skills are developed over the curriculum, culminating in student-designed final projects• Course Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) are highly impactful methods of improving student achievement and retention (Bangera & Brownell, 2014).• Lynn University placed CUREs throughout the Environmental Studies Major curriculum • At the lower division level CUREs are laboratory experiences guided by faculty in which students gather data for faculty research projects• At the upper division level, students design and execute social and natural science research projects that increase in length from 3 weeks to a full semester• Skills are taught throughout the curriculum. These skills are required to ensure success in designing a research projectBangera, G., & Brownell, S. E. (2014). Course-based undergraduate research experiences can make scientific research more inclusive. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 13(4), 602-606.Freshman: Artifact Cleaning and Analysis• ENV 130, the first semester class• Students clean and sort artifacts from the summer archeology dig led by faculty• Students discuss how differing abundances of artifacts during different time periods are indicative of social or environmental changeSophomore: Bacterial Tolerance Studies• ENV 250, second year spring class• Students perform a halotolerance or other tolerance study of bacteria collected from the environment as part of a faculty research project• Data are used to interpret abundances of bacteria found in the environmentJunior: Authentic Data Analysis• ENV 340, second semester spring class• Students access various international and governmental databases on which to perform statistical analyses• In the final project students collect data on their own or from a database to test a hypothesisSenior: Capstone Research Project• ENV 450, final semester before graduating• Students spend 3 weeks designing a research project in natural or social sciences, 8 weeks executing the project, and the remaining time creating a final report and presentation• Workshop style class sessions work to further a student’s progress on their own research

Building Skills for and Implementing Course Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) Across an Environmental Studies Curriculum

https://spiral.lynn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1749&amp;context=facpubs

Building Skills for and Implementing Course Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) Across an Environmental Studies Curriculum

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Lynn University: SPIRAL (Scholarly Publications, Institutional Repository and Archives at Lynn)