Undergraduate Research: Helping Students Become Better Thinkers
By Annette Finley-Croswhite, CFD Director
Undergraduate research has been identified as a "high-impact practice" promoting critical thinking, problem solving, and experience with research methodology in an environment where knowledge is created and students excel.
Scholars argue that students exposed to undergraduate research and knowledge-based learning are more successful in their college careers. Undergraduate research is an excellent model to give students a competitive edge, especially for those headed to graduate school, but it also helps students in general better understand their career trajectories.
Undergraduate research is especially beneficial to underrepresented minority students, offering more exposure to and participation in STEM fields. Students engaged in undergraduate research are also more likely to participate in service learning projects and community engagement. Often their research is focused on problem-solving tied to real-world concerns.
Students speak of undergraduate research as "transformative," and colleges and universities have found that exposing students to undergraduate research produces higher retention rates. At Old Dominion University, Lisa Mayes, the Executive Director of the Center for High Impact Practices, advocates strongly for the many benefits students derive from experience with undergraduate research.
Many models are tied to the use of undergraduate research. One model involves intensive mentoring in which faculty members are paired with high-achieving students to pursue research together. In these instances not only do students publish with faculty but they are also socialized into the professional environment of their disciplines, often attending conferences and poster sessions at which they present their research findings.
ODU has an excellent Undergraduate Research Program housed in the Honors College and led by Dr. David Gauthier, the Director of Undergraduate Research. The Honors College and the Office of Research offer a Program for Undergraduate Research and Scholarship (PURS) awarding grant monies to promote authentic undergraduate research. Interested faculty and students can find out more about it on the Honors College website.
Embedding student inquiry, the scientific method, and/or research methodology into course work is another way to promote undergraduate research within higher education classrooms. This "mainstreaming" model is focused less on one-on-one mentoring and more on turning classroom assignments into research discussions and projects that lead to discovery, no matter the discipline.
The goal here is to incorporate inquiry-based learning across the curriculum and expose more students to the research process. Students become active learners in this environment instead of the receivers of knowledge. Immersing undergraduates in the learning process also enriches their college experience and develops students who are better critical thinkers.
When faculty hear the term "undergraduate research," they often think of the STEM disciplines, which makes sense because the first implementation of these programs began decades ago in the sciences. Today, however, all faculty can employ inquiry-based teaching and learning and develop undergraduate research assignments focused on their specific disciplines. If you are interested in embedding undergraduate research in your courses, please contact the Center for Faculty Development for more information.
