There is mounting evidence to support that students who participate in scientific research experiences are more likely to continue on to advanced degrees and careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). To introduce more students to the benefits of research, we have drawn on an ongoing project aimed at understanding how the Caribbean staghorn coral Acropora cervicornis responds to environmental fluctuations to develop a semester-long course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE), entitled CREARE (Coral Response to Environment Authentic Research Experience). The main mode of instruction in CREARE is through topic modules, and course evaluation is achieved through writing assignments. Students in CREARE perform experiments in the laboratory to measure the abundance of photo-protective proteins in coral tissue from samples collected at different depths and at different times of the year and analyze environmental data using the R programming language. CREARE participants have contributed to the progress of the research project by generating novel data and making improvements to experimental protocols. Furthermore, pre- and post-course assessment of content knowledge revealed that students perform significantly better on a written exam after participating in CREARE, while also displaying appreciable shifts in attitudes towards science in student perception surveys. In addition, through qualitative analysis of focus group interviews, we gathered evidence to suggest that mediating variables that predict students' persistence in science are bolstered through our application of the CURE modality. Overall, CREARE can serve as a model for developing more research-based courses that successfully engage students in scientific research.

中文翻译：

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创建：基于课程的本科生研究经验，以研究濒临灭绝的珊瑚鹿角藻对不断变化的环境的反应。

有越来越多的证据支持参加科学研究的学生更有可能继续攻读科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）的高级学位和职业。为了向更多的学生介绍研究的好处，我们开展了一个正在进行的项目，旨在了解加勒比地区的鹿角珊瑚鹿角藻（Acropora cervicornis）如何应对环境波动，从而开发出一个基于学期的基于课程的本科研究经验（CURE），该研究名为CREARE（珊瑚对环境真实研究经验的反应）。CREARE中的​​主要教学模式是通过主题模块，而课程评估是通过编写作业来实现的。CREARE的学生在实验室中进行实验，以测量在一年中不同深度和不同时间采集的样本中珊瑚组织中光防护蛋白的丰度，并使用R编程语言分析环境数据。CREARE参与者通过生成新数据并改进实验方案为研究项目的发展做出了贡献。此外，对内容知识的课前和课后评估表明，参加CREARE后，学生在笔试中表现显着提高，同时在学生感知调查中也显示出对科学态度的明显转变。此外，通过对焦点小组访谈的定性分析，我们收集了证据，表明调解变量可以预测学生的 通过我们对CURE模式的应用，科学的持久性得到了加强。总体而言，CREARE可以作为开发更多基于研究的课程的模型，从而成功地使学生参与科学研究。