A Case of Reform: The Undergraduate Research Collaboratives

Despite numerous calls for reform, the early chemistry experience for most college students has remained unchanged for decades. In 2004 the National Science Foundation (NSF) issued a call for proposals to create new models of chemical education that would infuse authentic research into the early sta...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of college science teaching 2012-05, Vol.41 (5), p.38-43
Main Authors: Horsch, Elizabeth, St. John, Mark, Christensen, Ronald L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Chemistry
College Faculty
College Science
College Students
Colleges
Cooperation
Core curriculum
Education reform
Educational Change
Educational evaluation
Higher Education
Learner Engagement
Modeling
Observational research
Organic chemistry
Partnerships in Education
Research facilities
Research Opportunities
Research Universities
Science Careers
Science Education
Science Instruction
Student diversity
Teaching methods
Undergraduate Students
Undergraduate Study
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Summary:Despite numerous calls for reform, the early chemistry experience for most college students has remained unchanged for decades. In 2004 the National Science Foundation (NSF) issued a call for proposals to create new models of chemical education that would infuse authentic research into the early stages of a student's college experience. Under this initiative, NSF funded five undergraduate research collaboratives. The sites ranged from a single large research university to a collaboration of seven small institutions across a three-state area. Each of the sites developed a unique model for creating and supporting research opportunities for first- and second-year undergraduates. In this report, we include brief descriptions of the five sites and describe their common components and the variety of implementation strategies. Finally, we examine the impacts of early research on students, faculty members, and institutions and the potential for these research experiences to drive change in science education. (Contains 2 tables.)
ISSN:0047-231X
1943-4898
DOI:10.2505/3/jcst12_041_05