Author(s):
Undergraduate research experiences (UREs) are high impact activities for participants and a critical strategy for broadening participation in STEM, yet there are many barriers to participation that leave students historically underrepresented in the sciences or students with nontraditional enrollment patterns without access to UREs. In this ‘design and development’ project we designed and are studying a novel Polar science undergraduate research experience called Authentic Research through Collaborative Learning (ARC-Learn). ARC-Learn is a long-duration, lower intensity, team-based URE intended to: 1) support and sustain the engagement of undergraduate students who might not otherwise have access to intensive, short-term research opportunities; 2) expand knowledge about the design and implementation of UREs; and 3) build understanding about how mentors can develop inclusive mentoring competencies and efficacy. ARC-Learn hosted two cohorts of undergraduate students (approx. 20 per cohort) and mentors (approx. 10 per cohort) through an eighteen-month research program, focusing on supporting students through the full research arc to answer student-interest-driven research questions using the existing Polar data surplus and promote data literacy skills. The research objectives are to understand the specific mechanisms and program elements that contribute to 1) student achievement of learning outcomes, 2) and cultivation of STEM identity and STEM persistence, and 3) mentor development of team science and inclusive mentoring practices and mindsets. To get at these guiding questions, we designed and launched student and mentor surveys (early, mid, and end-program) and interviews (early and end-of-program). This poster presentation will: report on preliminary findings from research on the ARC-Learn program based on student and mentor surveys and interviews; discuss promising program features; and share future work related to the project. Preliminary data for both student cohorts broadly shows students have reported gains in their technical skills, understanding of the research process, and research-self efficacy. Students also report gains in their sense of belonging to the scientific community and their disciplinary community (Polar science). Preliminary data shows that mentors have high value for diverse identities in science and research and high interest in improving their inclusive mentorship practices. Mentors also report adapting to the novel features of the ARC-Learn program (e.g., flexible guidelines and research topic areas) made prioritizing their own professional development challenging. The project overall has revealed promising features of a novel URE, such as creating multiple levels of community-building; providing time and opportunity for students to build skills and knowledge needed to preform research; experience in the whole research arc; opportunity to communicate research findings in a professional setting; and experiencing the nature of science and research. Further analysis of qualitative and quantitative data is anticipated to reveal the specific program elements that may contribute to student and mentor outcomes.
Coauthors
Ryan Brown, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR; Miguel Goni, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR; Laurie Juranek, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR; Julie Risien, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR; Nancy Staus, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
