Innovations in Undergraduate Research and Honors Education: Proceedings of the Second Schreyer National Conference 2001 Copyright (c) 2013 University of Nebraska - Lincoln All rights reserved. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcschreyer2 Recent documents in Innovations in Undergraduate Research and Honors Education: Proceedings of the Second Schreyer National Conference 2001 en-us Thu, 24 Jan 2013 19:40:55 PST 3600 THE ROLE OF LIBRARIES IN HONORS THESIS RESEARCH: A LIBRARY CREDIT COURSE AS A MODEL FOR THESIS RESEARCH SUPPORT http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcschreyer2/32 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcschreyer2/32 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 14:02:11 PST The honors thesis is considered to be the capstone undergraduate academic experience. Beyond representing the culmination of course work, it can provide a unique opportunity to work in an interdisciplinary mode. Moreover, it provides acculturation to the academic environment and the opportunity to participate in the scholarly communication process. At the undergraduate level, the significance of the acculturation process is equal to, or more important than, the final thesis product. In addition to mastering subject content, students must learn the fundamentals of designing and executing research. Honors theses share several important characteristics: mentorship, originality, acceptability (consistent with current practice in the discipline), and dissemination (resulting in tangible products critiqued by others in the discipline) (Hakim, 1998).

]]> Carol A. Wright MEETING THE BOYER CHALLENGE: A MODEL FOR TEAM-BASED, STUDENT-DIRECTED UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcschreyer2/31 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcschreyer2/31 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 14:00:54 PST At most research universities, a major divide separates the world of the undergraduate student and the world of research. The standard model of undergraduate research is the apprenticeship model in which students are transported across this divide with little cognitive or practical preparation. Sinking or swimming, the student is then presented with a problem or project, shown the basics of how to solve the problem, and allowed to give it his/her best shot. This effort frequently takes place under the guidance of graduate students and/or .research associates who themselves have little cognitive or practical preparation for this role. This research experience most often takes place late in the student's course of study and is usually pedagogically and epistemologically distinct from his/her course of study. Thus the degree of ownership in the work by the student varies widely, and interestingly, rarely does the experience lead to scholarship outside the home institution. Without questioning the intrinsic merits or approach of this model, it is nonetheless clear that universities and their faculty do not have the resources nor the will to make this experience a regular part of the academic life of a large majority of undergraduates. In this contribution we present an alternative model based on a case study of a teambased, student-directed research effort in the area of marine environmental science. From our research, we believe that team-based research by undergraduates holds the promise of meeting the educational, intellectual, and emotional needs of an increasingly diverse population of undergraduates and an everchanging world/work place. Research-Based Learning (RBL) provides the structural strategy for linking this new undergraduate research model to both the classroom and the curriculum.

]]> Douglas F. Williams et al. PROMISE, PERIL, AND POTENTIAL: DEVELOPING, IMPLEMENTING; AND ASSESSING PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING AT THE UNDERGRADUATE LEVEL http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcschreyer2/30 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcschreyer2/30 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 13:59:14 PST In an effort to cope with the vastly expanding body of knowledge in medicine, medical educators in the last 20 years began to realize that not all the facts one needed to know to practice could be 'taught' in four years of medical school. Furthermore, recall of material learned during the 'chock-full-of-facts' early years was discouragingly poor, and learned information went out of date very quickly. Educators came to the realization that producing students who were life-long self-learners was a reasonable solution. Even earlier, a few schools such as McMaster University in Canada began using problem based learning (PBL) in their medical curriculum. Medical scholars recognized that this technique might also be part of the solution and began implementing it in their curriculum. Now, over 50% of medical schools have a significant problem-based learning component in their curriculum. Use of PBL is becoming widely accepted and used in various forms. There are many examples of its use now in primary and secondary (K-12) and post-secondary (college) education, and in disciplines such as law, engineering, architecture, social work, optometry, management and administration, economics, nursing, and dentistry, to name a few.

]]> Carol F. Whitfield ANCIENT MYTHS IN A MODERN WORLD: A MULTI-MEDIA APPROACH TO HONORS EDUCATION AND UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcschreyer2/29 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcschreyer2/29 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 13:57:12 PST This Honors seminar examines a number of myths generated by diverse cultural groups (American Indian, Central and South American, African, and Asian) both in their ancient context and, wherever possible, in their actualizations in modem society. The title of the seminar should be viewed rather as a question than as a statement: Can we observe the traces of myths and/or forms of mythic thinking in the various structures, activities, and beliefs of modem societies? The scope and the diversity of cultural content makes the course appropriate as a general education course; it requires the student to think critically and analytically about the nature of mythic thinking, the role of myths in society, and the significance of mythical expressions (myths, legends, poems, tales) in the development of a self-concept as well as the concepts of cultural identity that underlie societal organization. The course does not deal with cultural areas in isolation from one another but rather emphasizes cultural diversity and the cross-cultural aspects encompassed by the universal nature of mythic thinking. A student should emerge from this course with a new respect for and understanding of the unity of mythic thinking within the diversity of cultural representation, i.e., the actual forms that myths take in cultural transmission over time.

]]> Richard Ernest Walker COMMUNITY ACTION RESEARCH: A THREE-PART SERVICELEARNING COURSE MODEL http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcschreyer2/28 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcschreyer2/28 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 13:56:04 PST This paper discusses a model for a three-part service-learning course developed by the Schreyer Honors College and Department of Geography at Penn State. Piloted during the spring, summer, and fall semesters of 2001, "Geography 298H--Experiences in International Service Learning: Juarez, Mexico" was designed to engage participants in a meaningful community development project while learning about the conditions, challenges, and prospects of a specific world region. After a semester of background preparation that included discussions with faculty members across many disciplines and team research resulting in a l48-page field guide, participating students traveled to Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, where they constructed a single-family home for recent migrants to the area. The students maintained written and photographic journals during the trip and submitted excerpts upon their return. During the fall semester, the class reconvened for several sessions of reflection and discussion; assignments comprised writing addenda to the field guide, editorials on some aspect of the trip that would be appropriate for publication in campus or hometown newspapers, and an open-ended evaluation of the experience. Throughout the process, students built leadership skills through networking, fundraising, and making presentations to school students and civic groups in their home communities. The course is serving as a model for other service learning projects, notably "Geography 297H-Experiences in International Service Learning: HOINA, India" and "Architectural Engineering 297H: Tribal Housing."

]]> Joann C. Vender MASS PROGRAM AT PENN STATE http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcschreyer2/27 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcschreyer2/27 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 13:54:59 PST The MASS program--Mathematics Advanced Study Semesters--at Penn State's Mathematics department was founded in 1996. MASS is a unique, innovative, intensive program for select groups of undergraduates recruited every year from around the United States and brought to Penn State's campus for the fall semester. This program provides a unique and mutually reinforcing blend of learning and research activities for its participants.

]]> Serge Tabachnikov ISSUE REACTION: HONORS THESES IN THE CREATIVE AND PERFORMING ARTS http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcschreyer2/26 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcschreyer2/26 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 13:53:59 PST This 'Issue Reaction' focuses on describing the meaning of an 'honors thesis' in the creative and performing arts and defining appropriate approaches for guiding students on their thesis work in these fields. In general, a 'project' complements the thesis (the work of art) and is the written reflective component. The process for completing the project and written work will vary according to the nature of the work and student. One approach is to establish why the project is important and should be undertaken, how it will be completed or approached, and who will be involved or what the outcome will be. For this approach, students often keep a journal to reflect on the project during its formation. In another approach, students complete the artistic work and then reflect, analyze, and critique. Both approaches are equally valid and each requires the faculty advisor to playa critical role in ensuring the inclusion of a reflective component.

]]> Joanne Rutkowski et al. DIVERSITY ISSUES & HONORS EDUCATION http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcschreyer2/25 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcschreyer2/25 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 13:52:06 PST Are honors programs across the country obligated to increase the percentages of minority students enrolled in their programs? Is it necessary that honors programs prepare their members to work in a global economy with its many facets and features? The answers to both of these questions may seem obvious. However, very little research has been done to examine why there is such a disparity between whites and students of color enrolled and actively participating in honors programs at majority institutions across the United States. Consequently, many college and university honors programs fail to experience the benefits and advantages that may be found within a culturally diverse honors student population. This paper chronicles the results of a study that was piloted at the University of Connecticut by a first-year doctoral student. In order to fulfill the requirements for an Introduction to Multicultural Education Research course, the student investigated why students of color at the University of Connecticut may be reluctant to enroll in the university's honors program. The study included a small sample (n=6) of a population of 831 students. Participants in the study were interviewed and asked questions about their honors experiences and whether or not they believed their honors program maintained a vested interest in diversity issues. Students were also asked to identify perceived barriers that might prevent more students of color from participating in honors, though they may be eligible. The results of the study were divided along racial lines and may have broader implications for other majority campuses as well. Though relevant literature that addresses honors and diversity issues is limited, two pertinent resources are included in this paper. Honors program administrators may find these documents to be particularly instructive, if indeed increasing representation among students of color within their honors programs is a priority.

]]> Anthony A. Pittman HONORS COLLOQUIUM: BERLIN IN THE 1940s http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcschreyer2/24 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcschreyer2/24 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 13:50:54 PST "Berlin in the 1940s" is an honors course that can foster high levels of communication, creativity, personal responsibility, intellectual community building, and synthetic analysis. The seminar itself provides an interdisciplinary and international approach to understanding "local" Berlin (Germany) during its wartime, 1939-1945, and postwar, 1945-1949, crisis periods. Students have the opportunity to stretch themselves between and among an assortment of disciplines, including diplomatic, economic, social, intellectual, architectural, and film studies, among others. Despite the limitations of time (one 75-minute meeting per week) and resources (primarily my own), the students still had available to them virtually all of the primary and secondary materials the course requires. Methodologically, the class promotes creative exploration, use of available sources, and independent study, while providing minimal instructional intervention, lecture, and common reading.

]]> Charles F. Pennacchio CREATING AN UNDERGRADUATE CULTURE OF SCIENCE BY INTEGRATING INQUIRY, PROJECT-BASED LEARNING, AND RESEARCH INTO THE CURRICULUM http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcschreyer2/23 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcschreyer2/23 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 13:49:33 PST Full engagement in science includes observation and asking questions, the development of a hypothesis, designing and conducting an appropriate experiment to test that hypothesis, data acquisition, appropriate analysis, revisiting initial questions, and dissemination of results. Here, I report on efforts to engage undergraduate students in all of these elements of science by integrating inquiry, investigation, and research in four intermediate biology courses for all majors. The project-based courses include Plant Ecology, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Molecular Genetics, and Physiological Ecology. Students conduct semester-long, experimental research projects and present their results at a public poster session on campus. Using computers, peripherals, and software funded by an award from the National Science Foundation, efforts were made to enhance the data acquisition, analysis, and presentation aspects of student research. The quality of the student research was improved, and student pride and ownership over the work increased. Students exhibited a greater understanding of science and quantitative analysis. One student project was published in a peer-reviewed journal, and many others were presented at regional and national meetings. The number of students taking elective courses in related areas, continuing research and senior honors projects, and applying and being accepted to related graduate programs significantly increased. Student poster sessions served to create a campuswide culture of science.

]]> Richard A. Niesenbaum ISSUE REACTION: INTRODUCING STUDENTS TO SOCIAL INQUIRY RESEARCH http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcschreyer2/22 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcschreyer2/22 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 13:48:32 PST Social inquiry courses provide students with the means necessary to confront significant social issues, typically through a mixture of quantitative and qualitative research methods. Faculty members who teach these types of courses, however, encounter four basic problems. First, students often resist taking the critical postures necessary to do social research, largely because such postures in some way threaten the stability that students try to impose upon the world. Second, the ambiguity surrounding social issues and approaches to social research frustrates students' desires to maintain the type of order they were accustomed to at the secondary level, leading to further resistance from students to the idea of "doing research." Third, students' differing abilities can work against group cohesion and individual effectiveness, turning an already difficult course into a mechanics nightmare. Finally, students' desires to tackle significant issues, when such desires are manifested, often face the impediment of institutional research boards, which increasingly are becoming hindrances rather than ethical gatekeepers. This "Issue Reaction" offers four suggestions: structuring students into carefully designed teams, using problem-based learning techniques to guide discussion, using public data to train students in the mechanics of research, and having students conduct research within the confines of the classroom.

In the past, institutions reserved social inquiry courses for students who had reached the junior or senior level of study. With the increase of general education requirements at many institutions across the country, a much broader audience populates today's courses. Many incoming students tend to be "socially reticent," that is, unwilling to extend themselves beyond a cohort group that acts, thinks, and even dresses as they do. Forcing these students to confront communal issues intrudes upon the stability with which they seek to surround themselves. These students find that many of the questions they are being trained to pose threaten, or at least necessitate a re-evaluation of, some of their own core beliefs and values. More and more these students retreat from the critical stances they should be taking as educated and contributing members of society.

]]> Alfred G. Mueller II ISSUE REACTION: INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING IN THE COLLEGE CLASSROOM http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcschreyer2/21 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcschreyer2/21 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 13:47:07 PST Inquiry-based learning is a research-based learning technique used to promote student comprehension, self-reflection, and research skills. The implementation of inquiry-based learning methods in the classroom can look very different depending on student factors, such as academic level, and on instructional variations, such as academic discipline. In all cases, students will learn more meaningful information if inquiry-based activities are student-centered. The five phases of inquiry-based learning are (1) identification of prior knowledge, (2) student exploration, (3) focus on content, (4) organization of new ideas, and (5) application to new situations. This issue reaction explores ideas on how to implement inquiry-based learning in a course as well as the challenges of this approach.

Inquiry-based learning can be described as "the acquisition of new concepts through carefully structured student activities involving the formulation and testing of hypotheses" (Otto, 1991). Inquirybased learning is a research-based strategy that actively involves students in an exploration of the content, issues, and questions surrounding a curricular area. Activities are designed so that students work individually or in teams to solve problems that incorporate both class work and fieldwork.

While inquiry-based, problem-based, and case-based learning all provide opportunities for students to be actively involved in their learning (Feletti, 1993), inquiry-based learning is the most appropriate instructional method to use if you want your students to become ,better researchers. By implementing an inquiry-based technique, students have more opportunity to reflect on their own learning and thus gain a deeper understanding of the course concepts (King, 1995).

]]> Jill L. Lane et al. HOW (OR WHETHER?) TO INTEGRATE RESEARCH INTO CLASSROOM TEACHING FOR ALL STUDENTS AND ALL HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcschreyer2/20 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcschreyer2/20 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 13:45:06 PST The chapter starts by posing a range of questions re teaching/research relations and, in particular, asks whether such is only for selected students in elite/wealthy institutions. The issues are complex and before considering the evidence some of this complexity is discussed-for our answers to the chapter'~ central questions depend in part on how we 'define' 'undergraduate research' or 'linking teaching and research.' The arguments, including research evidence that undergraduate research should be for selected students, are then presented, including a major review of the research which concludes that the 'common belief that teaching and research are inextricably intertwined is an enduring myth.' Then such questioning views are countered by arguments and evidence from recent research that suggests more positive relations between teaching and research. Other factors are considered including the view that universities should develop all students' understanding of the 'supercomplexity' of the world being continually reshaped by research. In conclusion I present my current attempts to answer the questions posed in the introduction--in particular, outlining ways and the extent to which research-based learning can be extended to all students (and staff) in higher education.

]]> Alan Jenkins IV. Undergraduate Research via Service Learning and Outreach http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcschreyer2/19 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcschreyer2/19 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 13:43:44 PST Recent national trends to incorporate service learning in academic programs demonstrate the growing commitment to the scholarship of engagement by universities. This chapter features papers that address both the student rewards of being involved in meaningful research that touches the community and the challenges associated with developing and maintaining these unique projects.

Carubia et al. describe a model of student research that integrates service leadership vertically within a university education, thus allowing students to develop their vision for addressing a local or global community issue. Vender chronicles a rigorous service learning experience by peppering student reflections throughout her description of the three-part model. Dupont-Morales summarizes the issue reaction of the conference discussants that grappled with defining and creating service learning opportunities. Mueller presents an issue reaction on social inquiry and the challenges that instructors face when having students confront communal issues. The paper provides some valuable suggestions to address those research challenges. Finally, Brown and Brown describe an honors symposium and their efforts to instill and develop student leadership qualities in the context of engaging students in research projects that address a community need.

]]> VI. The Next Challenges http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcschreyer2/18 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcschreyer2/18 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 13:42:34 PST One of the basic principles of research and of education in general is that challenges propel new learning. This final section raises two fundamental challenges for one of the most frequent sites of undergraduate research: honors programs and colleges. The way each institution responds to these challenges can affect the direction and future of undergraduate research. Anthony Pittman explores perceptions held by African American students about the recruitment practices and climate of honors programs and colleges. The challenge of welcoming a diverse student population pervades higher education and has implications for research programs both inside and outside honors education. Cheryl Achterberg challenges educators as role models for undergraduate research to employ the tools of "theory-driven research and practice." Just as students are encouraged to engage in "systematic, comprehensive, and organized" research processes, Achterberg challenges honors educators to "play a pivotal and powerful role" through a commitment to theory-driven research. The open-ended nature of the "Next Challenges" section balances the momentum of the opening section of the volume and points the way beyond what we know and do well toward those areas that seem to invite creative, intergenerational research teams, possibly the research teams of the future.

]]> Table of Contents http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcschreyer2/17 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcschreyer2/17 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 13:41:52 PST Preface

I. Making the Case for Undergraduate Research

Introduction: Unpacking the Research Encyclopedia (Josephine Carubia; Renata Engel)

How (Or Whether?) To Integrate Research into Classroom Teaching for All Students and All Higher Education Institutions (Alan Jenkins)

Why Involve Students in Research? (Rodney A. Erickson)

II. Curriculum Models that Include Undergraduate Research

The Maryland Gemstone Program (William W Destler)

Creating an Undergraduate Culture of Science by Integrating Inquiry, Project-based Learning and Research into the Curriculum (Richard A. Niesenbaum)

THE INSIDERS: Undergraduates Critically Examine the Pros and Cons of a Team-based Marine Research Program (Traci J Heincelman; Edward J Majzlik; Christie A. Robinson; Lindsey J Wise)

MASS Program at Penn State (Serge Tabachnikov)

Issue Reaction: Honors Theses in the Creative and Performing Arts (Joanne Rutkowski)

III. Course Models that Include Undergraduate Research

Multi-disciplinary Study, Responsible Policy-making and Problem-based Learning in Honors Courses (Michael Edwards)

Honors Collaborations: The Presidency in Speech and Composition (Sandy Feinstein; Jeff Kurtz)

Leaving Home with IT: Using Information Technology to Create Cross-national Design Teams (Richard Devon; Pierre Buvat)

Ancient Myths in a Modern World: A Multi-media Approach to Honors Education and Undergraduate Research (Richard Ernest Walker)

Honors Colloquium: Berlin in the 1940s (Charles F. Pennacchio)

IV. Undergraduate Research via Service Learning and Outreach

Patterns of Engagement in Service Leadership: First Year to Senior Year (Josephine Carubia; Sara Faber; Soma Kedia; Nicole Sandretto; Adam Tarosky;

JoAnn C. Vender)

Community Action Research: A Three-part Service-learning Course Model (JoAnn C. Vender)

Issue Reaction: Integrating Service Learning into Academic Courses (M. A. Dupont-Morales)

Issue Reaction: Introducing Students to Social Inquiry Research (Alfred G. Mueller II)

Enriching the Academic Community through a Semester-long Honors Symposium (Earl Brown; Jr., Margaret C. Brown)

V. Learning Strategies that Support Undergraduate Research

Promise, Peril, and Potential: Developing, Implementing, and Assessing Problem-based Learning at the Undergraduate Level (Carol F. Whitfield)

Meeting the Boyer Challenge: A Model for Team-based, Student-directed Undergraduate Research (Douglas F. Williams; Peter Sederberg; Stefka Eddins)

A Historical Perspective on Interdisciplinarity and Undergraduate Research in Honors Education (Julianna Chaszar)

Issue Reaction: Inquiry-based Learning in the College Classroom (Jill L. Lane; Joanne M Cawley)

The Role of Libraries in Honors Thesis Research: A Library Credit Course as a Model for Thesis Research Support (Carol A. Wright)

VI. The Next Challenges

Diversity Issues & Honors Education (Anthony A. Pittman)

What's Missing in Honors Education: A Theory-driven Approach (Cheryl L. Achterberg)

]]> I. Making the Case for Undergraduate Research http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcschreyer2/16 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcschreyer2/16 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 13:31:01 PST In this section Josephine Carubia and Renata Engel introduce the topic of undergraduate research by focusing on the current definitions of scholarship. They place those definitions in the context of specific disciplines and research opportunities. Next, two distinguished educators engage scholarship and also reflect upon the reasoning and purposes that support the practice of undergraduate research. Alan Jenkins probes data on the impacts of undergraduate research in an attempt to answer the most preliminary and crucial questions of whether educators should support this experience, and if so, why and how. He starts out a skeptic and slowly persuades himself, along with his readers, of the value of undergraduate research. Rodney Erickson, by contrast, begins on a positive note and builds evidence thoughtfully on the beneficial outcomes of undergraduate research on students, faculty, and the university. Erickson draws upon many years of experience to offer evidence of how undergraduate research motivates students, guides them in finding relevance, and helps them develop strategies and relationships that lead to deeper and deeper understandings. Together, these three papers establish a frame and a context for the more specific studies, case histories, and narratives that follow.

]]> v. Learning Strategies that Support Undergraduate Research http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcschreyer2/15 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcschreyer2/15 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 13:30:19 PST This section provides an excellent overview of learning strategies that are conducive to supporting undergraduate research in the classroom. Whitfield opens with an overview of the value of a problem-based learning curriculum. Although it is couched in terms of the College of Medicine, the paper is applicable to many disciplines as well as undergraduate and graduate students. She highlights some of the pitfalls, practical tips, and problem development strategies so as to derive the maximum benefit from problem-based learning methods. Williams, Sederberg and Eddins describe research-based learning (RBL) and illustrate the learning strategy with the Marine and Aquatic Research Experience project at the University of South Carolina. RBL presents an alternative educational model that blends research activity, instruction, and curricular offerings to expand the research opportunities for undergraduate student teams while rejuvenating the curriculum. Chaszar focuses her attention on the value of interdisciplinary research. Not only do many research advances occur at the intersection of disciplines, but also honors curricula often carry the distinction of being interdisciplinary and attracting students who integrate fields of study. In their Issue Reaction, Lane and Cawley provide a working definition of "inquiry-based learning" and an accompanying list of resources for further study. The final paper emphasizes the importance of libraries in the successful implementation of either inquiry-based or problem-based learning. Wright makes the point that libraries provide the infrastructure to support the inherent elements of research found in these active learning strategies. She also describes one course designed and offered by the library to support undergraduate thesis research. The course includes a breadth of relevant topics such as database manipulation, identification of appropriate resources, portfolio development, information literacy, and Internet navigation and evaluation.

]]> II. Curriculum Models that Include Undergraduate Research http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcschreyer2/14 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcschreyer2/14 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 13:29:29 PST This chapter features different perspectives on integrating research into the curriculum. The series of papers describes programs, credit bearing as well as non-credit bearing, that include a significant research component.

The first four papers provide an excellent contrast of approaches to bringing research into the undergraduate curriculum. The Gemstone Program at the University of Maryland is a fouryear honors program that includes research methods courses and a four-year-long, team-based research project. The students identify the topic, propose the research question and are mentored by a faculty member. The next model describes the efforts in Muhlenberg College's Biology Department to include research via semester-long projects in four intermediate biology courses. The MARE program at the University of South Carolina, described by members of the student research team, is a student-driven, faculty-mentored research activity that does not carry any formal credits or research designation. Over the course of their four years of involvement, the students investigate marine and aquatic environments and the impact of human activities on those environments. The MASS program at Penn State provides a one-semester research environment with time spent studying mathematics courses, attending research seminars, and conducting mathematics or computational research. Finally an 'Issue Reaction' paper describes the unique challenges of integrating 'research' projects in the creative and performing arts.

]]> III. Course Models that Include Undergraduate Research http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcschreyer2/13 http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcschreyer2/13 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 13:28:25 PST Individual courses are often the best place to begin integrating research into the student academic experience. As demonstrated by the five papers in this section, research can be included in a wide array of courses. The authors of the papers included in this section use discipline-specific and general education courses to introduce research methods and projectbased techniques. One of the recurring themes emerging from their papers is the importance of providing opportunities for the students to learn the foundation material in the context of addressing problems or probing questions. This problem-based learning approach is outlined very nicely in Edwards' paper. Both he and the authors of "Honors Collaborations: The Presidency in Speech and Composition" and "Leaving Home with IT" recognize the advantage of team-teaching when t~e topic becomes broad enough that meaningful investigation often extends beyond the educational realm of one discipline. Additionally, the latter paper by Devon and Buvat presents the challenges and rewards when including significant international collaboration in the projects. Elements of problem-based learning are recognized in each of the other successful courses; e.g., in the case of the "Ancient Myths in a Modem World" course, Walker requires individual exploration and elaboration for specific stages of the project and team activities for other stages, including the presentation of course material. And at the outset of the course "Berlin in the 1940s," the instructor emphasizes the importance of an environment for scholarly advancement, including trust and collegiality.

In addition to providing a framework to consider when developing a course that includes a research component, these papers include the valuable insights of those who developed and taught courses using this approach. The authors are candid about what worked and how they would make adjustments for future offerings, making these papers all that more valuable.

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