PARENT SESSION
Symposium 12: Integrating Scientific Research and Ecology Education
Organized by: M Krasny, C Brewer, and D Ebert-May
Wednesday, August 6. 8:00 AM to 11:30 AM, SITCC Chatham Ballroom C.

Integrating Undergraduate Research Experiences From Matriculation through Graduation.

Brewer, Carol ^*,1, ¹ Division of Biological Sciences, Missoula, MT, USA

ABSTRACT- There are natural connections between teaching, research, and learning that can engage students in the thrill of scientific discovery. I will illustrate how a research-rich environment can be created to provide high-quality educational experiences for undergraduate students from their first biology course through graduation by describing a curriculum innovation program at the University of Montana. Over the last four years at UM, we have introduced a series of new team-taught introductory biology courses featuring a combination of lectures, active learning techniques designed for large classrooms, and small group discussions to introduce undergraduates to cutting edge research. To date, more than half of the tenure-line faculty in Biology have taught in this sequence. Core concepts are presented using examples with research themes. Lectures are complemented by research-centered laboratories where students work in collaborative teams to explore research questions they generated from the topics covered during the lectures and follow-up discussions. Many lab investigations in the introductory biology sequence have formed the basis for larger-scale student research projects that have been presented at annual campus-wide research symposia. This curriculum innovation program also has supported the development of new student-centered, research-based approaches to teaching existing upper division courses. Today, hundreds of undergraduates participate in research experiences as part of their biology course training every semester. One outcome of this approach is that the number of students seeking capstone research experiences, including independent research and participation in faculty research, has increased substantially. Focusing on integrating research experiences from matriculation through graduation has changed the landscape of undergraduate biology education at UM, with research programs providing important platforms and opportunities for student learning (as well as generating new knowledge) and student and faculty research informing and enlivening what goes on in the classroom.

Key words: undergraduate research, introductory biology, curriculum innovation, assessment