Vitality in Undergraduate Research Programs

Claire Peinado Fraczek, PhDUniversity of Washington Bothell

March 7, 2014

When visiting other institutions, how do I measure the vitality of their

undergraduate research programs?

Deep Time: Nurturing the Work Across Generations

Research in service to . . . what?

An invitation to learning

Two Research Models

Traditional Transformative

Traditional Research Model Key Features

• Technical Skills• Advising• Methodological support• Summer intensives• Public presentations

Measuring Student Engagement

Rates and quality of participation:

• Conference participation• Disciplinary diversity• Fellowship recipients• Utilization of academic supports• Transfer engagement• Research methods course enrollment• Collaborative opportunities

Measuring Faculty Engagement

• Gallery and journal presence• Visible incentives and rewards• Disciplinary diversity

Building an Inquiry Culture

The challenges of individualism

High Impact Practices (AAC&U, LEAP)

Student Engagement

(Learning)

Undergraduate Research

First Year Seminars & Experiences

Common Intellectual Experiences

Learning Communities

Writing-Intensive Courses

Collaborative Assignments & Projects

Diversity/Global Learning

Service-Learning, CBL

Internships

Capstone Courses & Projects

Why invest in a transformative model?

Help students develop stories and translations about their research and engagement to

broader communities.

Transformative Research Model

3 Key Pillars

1. Make it social2. Integrate curriculum across 4 years3. Align research with broader community

engagement efforts

Zemis

Intellectual Friendships

Waseda University

Tokyo, Japan

Hirota Zemi Graduation

Zemi Implications for Student Learning

• Academic risk-taking• Strong mechanisms of accountability• Multi-generational team• Collaborative problem-solving• Leadership

Pillar 2: Curricular Integration

Re-orient students to their own learning

• Orientation: inquiry through learning plans• E-portfolios• CUSP to Schools coherence

Pillar 3: Community Based Learning & Engagement

• CUSP to Capstone alignment through research• Research tracks through existing programs

(MATCH)

RESEARCH +

Vitality

. . . as learning through research and inquiry

1. Exuberant physical strength or mental vigor2. Capacity for survival or for the continuation

of a purposeful or meaningful existence, and3. Power to live or grow

Thank you!

msclaire@uw.edu