Engaging new audiences in research by teaching the process of science Council on Undergraduate Research 2010 National Conference Anne E. Egger, Stanford University Anthony Carpi, John Jay College–CUNY

Who are we? Who are you? What is your institution type? What do you do to attract students to research? What do you do to prepare students for research?

Non-traditional audience: Freshmen and sophomores Challenge #1: getting them to even think about studying the Earth sciences Challenge #2: engaging them in research as freshmen and sophomores without much background knowledge Two solutions: EarthSci 1 and EarthSci 100

EarthSci 1 Current research in the Earth and environmental sciences Instructor Anne Egger

53 full-time faculty 4 departments 300+ graduate students

Faculty you’ll meet this quarter Jonathan Payne, GES Greg Beroza, Geophysics Chris Field, EESS (and recent Heinz Award recipient) Simon Klemperer, Geophysics (and recent Cox Award recipient) Wendy Mao, GES and SLAC Kevin Arrigo, EESS Sally Benson, ERE and Director of GCEP Jen Wilcox, ERE

Your tasks Listen, ask questions, write a short response every week Attend the Symposium for Undergraduate Research and Public Service (SURPS) on Thursday, October 22 Consider taking more classes, doing research, and/or majoring/minoring in the Earth sciences

Evaluations “For a one-unit class, I felt I got a lot out of this class. The lecturers were all very interesting and it was neat to become acquainted with various departments in the earth sciences.” “It was good to reflect on what interested us to see if that suggested a possible future course.”

EarthSci 100 Research Preparation Instructors Anne Egger & Simon Klemperer

Goals of this course To introduce you to (or reinforce your knowledge of) the process of scientific research To prepare you to have a successful summer research experience To build an active community of undergraduate researchers within the School of Earth Sciences

How we will achieve those goals Readings and discussion about the research process in general A series of short assignments about your research submitted through CourseWork Presentations by each of you about the work you’ll be doing and engagement in the culture of research in the school

Example assignment

Discussion Strategies for readings scientific journal articles Strategies for using the literature Using bibliographic tools like EndNote or RefWorks

Follow-up assignment

No evaluations yet, but… “I gained a lot from this class; some skills I found particularly helpful were how to read scientific articles and how to interact with my mentor. I definitely feel more prepared for going into the field this summer, and I know what resources I should turn to if I have any questions.”

Non-traditional audience: Urban Hispanic and minority students John Jay College: –Largest HSI in Northeast –13,346 undergraduates (Fall 2009) –46% 1 st Generation, 80% financial aid, 58% work –Entirely Commuter College –Within 2 buildings –Single Science Department –22 faculty, 884 Majors (Fall 2009) –96.4% Major Attrition, 76% College Attrition- Science (1990’s)

What are our challenges? What isn’t? Challenge #1: What is research? Challenge #2: Why should they do research? Challenge #3: How does it affect their career options? Challenge #4: Time, support, training…

PRISM: The Program for Research Initiatives for Science Majors

Program Components Winter Informational Sessions Freshman Seminars Sophomore Research Training Student-Mentor Pairing Research Symposium Freshman, Sophomore, Upper Class concurrent sessions & joint lunch Pathways, Practical Writing Skills Lab Project, Ethics, Writing Junior-Senior, FOS402

Research Symposium Research Poster Session Outstanding Researcher Award Keynote Speaker

Supporting materials

Teaching the Process of Science FIPSE Funding 2006 Advisory Panel What is the Process of Science What are key concepts Peer review of materials How do we assess understanding

The Process of Science Selected Key Concepts Science is a process of investigation into the natural world and the knowledge generated through that process. Scientific theories are testable explanations supported by multiple lines of evidence. Scientific knowledge evolves with new evidence and perspectives. Science benefits from the creativity, curiosity, diversity, and diligence of individuals. The community of science engages in debate and mitigates human errors. Uncertainty is inherent in nature, but scientists work to minimize and quantify it in data collection and analysis. Scientists value open and honest communication in reporting research.

Modules in the Process of Science The Nature of Science Research Methods *In development Scientific Communication Scientific Data Topics Theories, Hypotheses, & Laws Scientists & the Scientific Community Scientific Institutions Scientific Ethics The Nature of Scientific Knowledge* Scientific Controversy* Journals & Articles The Literature Peer Review Scientific Practice: Research Comparison Description Experimentation Modeling Analysis & Interpretation Uncertainty, Error & Confidence Statistics Using Graphs & Visual Data

Process Modules

Teaching the Process of Science Resources for faculty