Jim Swartz, Chemistry Department and Dean Standing in for David Lopatto David Lopatto Psychology Department Grinnell College Undergraduate Research Experiences and the Epigenesis of a Science Career

R esearch O n L earning and E ducation Collaborative Assessment at: Grinnell College Harvey Mudd College Hope College Wellesley College Funded by: National Science Foundation

R esearch O n L earning and E ducation David Lopatto, Grinnell College Elaine Seymour, University of Colorado Jim Swartz, Grinnell College Sheldon Wettack, Harvey Mudd College Jim Gentile, Hope College Mary Allen, Wellesley College

R esearch O n L earning and E ducation Qualitative Studies (Seymour) Focus Groups, Interviews with Students and Faculty Quantitative Studies (Lopatto) Surveys of Students, and Faculty

Why does a student choose a career in science? It runs in the family. They don’t. We choose them (weeding out model). Undergraduate research experiences compel them to go on in the field. Students make a series of provisional career decisions that can be changed based on experience.

What decided him was a college project in which he had occasion to do some independent research-to find out things for himself. Once he discovered the pleasures of this kind of work, he never turned back. (Roe, 1952).

I worked two years doing research, first in nuclear physics and recently in solid state physics; I am a Classics and Physics double major, but I am going to graduate school in Psychology, specifically studying developmental psychology and linguistics.Thus, while I certainly consider conducting research will help me in my future studies, it is the core methodological experience and not specifically the field in which I studied that I will benefit from. Grinnell Student

The ROLE grant research (NSF REC ) Qualitative (Seymour) and Quantitative (Lopatto) methodologies to triangulate the benefits of undergraduate research. Three years of study of four summer research programs at liberal arts colleges. Seymour: “We are, as yet, unable to support or refute the proposition that undergraduate research experiences can prompt the choice of careers that require graduate or professional degrees”. Lopatto: One-third of science undergraduates who had decided to go to graduate school had made up their minds by the end of the first year of college. The fraction rises to one-half at the end of the second year. This decision was made prior to an undergraduate research experience.

Factor analysis of the benefits of undergraduate research 1.Interaction and communication skills. 2.Data collection and interpretation skills. 3.Professional development. 4.Personal development. 5.Design and hypothesis skills. 6.Professional advancement. 7.Information literacy skills. 8.Responsibility. 9.Knowledge synthesis. 10.Computer skills.

SURE Survey (HHMI Funded) The SURE survey used 19 items for learning gains that were used in the ROLE survey. The students responding to the ROLE survey were 384 from 4 liberal arts colleges. The first SURE survey (2003) was used by 1135 students from 19 research universities, 15 colleges, and 7 master’s level universities. Both surveys had students report learning gains on a 1 to 5 scale. The following figure shows the consistency of the item means across these two surveys.

SURE Survey The 2003 SURE 83% indicated they had a plan for postgraduate education in science that was not changed by the undergraduate research experience or was confirmed by it. 3.5% of the undergraduate researchers were inspired to change in favor of a plan for postgraduate education in science. 4.7% of the undergraduate researchers were disillusioned enough to change plans away from postgraduate education in science.

Survey items showing largest differences between students attracted to or discouraged from postgraduate education in science included Readiness for more demanding research Working independently Ability to analyze data Becoming part of the learning community Ability to integrate theory and practice Skill in science writing Self-confidence Students attracted to science averaged higher gains on all these items.

My mentor was very mean, and therefore I avoided that person as much as possible…I was afraid to go in and work if my mentor was there. I was blamed for breaking things, etc., when I was not responsible. Even though I loved the actual work, my experience with my mentor has made me change my mind about graduate school. If getting a Ph.d. makes someone that mean and miserable, why would I do it? Student respondent on SURE survey

I benefited most by becoming part of a research team and feeling like I was more connected to my department, including relationships with grad students and the professor. SURE respondent

I think one of the reasons why I enjoyed and learned from summer research is that I had good mentors. They set high goals for me so that I was an active participant in the research rather than a mere worker. SURE respondent

Summer researchers and friends at Grinnell College