Subscribe to RSS Feed (Opens in New Window)

Symposium Schedule
2019
Friday, October 25th
2:55 PM

Teaching the Principles of Research through the Creation of Digital Content

Melodie H. Eichbauer, Florida Gulf Coast University

Cape Florida Ballroom – D

2:55 PM - 3:50 PM

This presentation highlights the outcomes of a series of student internships that resulted in the production of successively more complex content videos for my undergraduate survey EUH 2021 Medieval European History. The production of the videos mirrored the research process and those creating the videos thought about and worked through the steps that a research project takes. Students enrolled in the course, which explores the period c.400 and c.1400 A.D., oftentimes have a difficult time with how to conceptualize the information, how to navigate the information, and how to delve into the information. The students engaged in the video product created three videos per module with each video scaffolding the research process. The Trailer video introduced the topic and allowed the student to process the subject. The Synopsis video required the student to identify key facets of the topic and think about how to organize an approach to the material. Finally, the Lecture video required the student to research an argument with a thesis and proof of thesis that explored a topic in detail.

3:55 PM

Faculty-Library Collaboration to Enhance UG Research and Information Literacy Skills

Hulya Julie Yazici
Regina Beard

Cape Florida Ballroom - AB

3:55 PM - 4:15 PM

This presentation describes faculty-Library collaboration efforts to enhance research and information literacy skills of our undergraduate students. An example of collaboration between business Faculty and Library Coordinator to facilitate research problem and data finding is presented with Canvas demonstration. The structured methodology is presented with implications on the experiential learning efforts. Additional examples from Library to improve information literacy and writing skills to enhance UG research are demonstrated

3:55 PM

Leveraging Embedded Undergraduate Research to Bolster Research Culture: A Multi-Pronged Approach Case Study

Marshall Jones, Florida Institute of Technology - Melbourne
Darby Proctor, Florida Institute of Technology

Cape Florida Ballroom D

3:55 PM - 4:15 PM

Introducing research into UG curriculum is critical toward the development of empirically informed future researchers and practitioners. Developing mechanisms to embed research into curriculum and culture can be challenging. To address these challenges, our UG psychology program has implemented initiatives to increase research participation. We will discuss several which include embedded class research, laboratory experiments, poster opportunities, and faculty research team participation. We also facilitate UG through research centers, partnering with public and private organizations, and novel approaches such as Roach Lab (roachlab.org). We will specifically highlight outcomes attributed to engaging students in research.

3:55 PM

Seminole State College CURE Research Program: From the Classroom to Collaboration

Maya Patrice Byfield PhD, Seminole State College of Florida

Cape Florida Ballroom - AB

3:55 PM - 4:15 PM

It is believed that if students are taught inductively in their first 2 years, it could induce many of them to seek research experiences later in their academic careers. To do this, we initiated an effort to promote engagement in research topics and faculty development. First, collaboration between one faculty member at SSC and a Principal Investigator at the Sanford-Burnham Institute was developed. This collaboration resulted in the creation of several internships at the Institute for students in the newly developed STEM research class. Second, to increase student engagement, the biology department developed a research focused colloquium series. Each fall semester we host 2-3 colloquia, attended by approximately 50-100 students, where scientific professionals and research students presented on topics involving scientific research, followed by a question and answer period. This helped to build education-industry-research connections, providing our students with an understanding of career opportunities available for life scientists, in turn facilitating increased student motivation. By offering colloquia with a research focus, we were able to further identify students who had a special interest in research fields as opposed to health careers. Through survey, student interest in research fields increased from 44% to 56% after attending a research focused colloquium. Through collaboration with research-focused institutions, cultivation of a colloquium series, and the establishment of a STEM research course, we have found a way of targeting interested students to streamline them into competitive learning and career opportunities for the future.

5:15 PM

Building a Life Science Transfer Community: The Transfer-student Research and Integration Program (TRIP)

Ken Teter, University of Central Florida
Ian Biazzo, University of Central Florida
Kimberly Schneider, University of Central Florida
Ken Fedorka, University of Central Florida

Burnett Honors College Lobby

5:15 PM - 7:00 PM

The Transfer-student Research and Integration Program (TRIP) prepares life science students for placement in graduate school or the STEM workforce by supporting their professional development and integration into the UCF community. TRIP students also receive a team-based research experience and an opportunity to present at regional conferences. An $8,000 scholarship distributed over the course of the 2-year program reduces financial barriers and encourages students to spend more time on campus and in a research environment. This poster provides an overview of the challenges facing transfer students, the solutions offered by TRIP, and early outcomes from the first cohort of our National Science Foundation-sponsored program.

5:15 PM

Expanding Options and Access to the Honors Undergraduate Thesis

Padmini Coopamah Waldron Dr., University of Central Florida
Amanda Ammirati, University of Central Florida

Burnett Honors College Lobby

5:15 PM - 7:00 PM

Since 1989, students at the University of Central Florida have had the opportunity to earn Honors through the Honors in the Major program. In an effort to accommodate the range of students’ research interests and to make the Honors thesis more appealing and accessible to qualified students, the Office of Honors Research has in the last year introduced two new options: the Interdisciplinary thesis and the Engineering thesis. The former allows students to conduct research and write theses outside their declared academic majors; the latter option allows students in Engineering to substitute their Senior Design course for an Honors Thesis course, thus reducing the number of credits associated with the program.

Saturday, October 26th
10:10 AM

Part II- Partnering to Expand and Adapt STEM Research Communities at Three Institutions: The LEARN Consortium

Jordan B. Merritt, Florida Atlantic University
Donna Chamely-Wiik, Florida Atlantic University

BHC 126

10:10 AM - 11:30 AM

The LEARN (Learning Environment and Academic Research Network) Consortium is a three institution, NSF-sponsored collaboration to study and create research learning communities, to impact STEM retention. This session will discuss the replicability of a first year STEM research community at two other institutions within the consortium. We will also outline how the core components (research engagement, tiered mentoring, and community building) have been adapted to meet the needs of an AA/AS transfer student population, and to accommodate different types of institutions. Evaluation and assessment data will be presented for Florida Atlantic University and Western Carolina University.

10:10 AM

Research Abroad: Adopting a Legacy Program to Fit the Current Needs of Students

Wesley F. Lewis, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

BHC 126

10:10 AM - 11:30 AM

The Office of Undergraduate Research at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University for the past seven years has offered a short-term research abroad program to allow students to have an international experience while being introduced to research. This past year the program was not feasible due to low student interest. The program was revamped to a research grant to encourage students who are participating in an ERAU faculty-led study abroad program to add a research component to their experience. Come find out how one program was revamped to meet the needs of the current students while still achieving the desired programmatic outcomes.

10:10 AM

Undergraduate Research Develops Transferable Skills More Successfully Than Other High Impact Practices

Charles W. Gunnels, Florida Gulf Coast University

BHC 128

10:10 AM - 10:25 AM

Undergraduate research enhances student learning and professional development, including self-reported learning gains and solidified career goals. However, it is unclear how undergraduate research affects direct measures of student learning relative to other High Impact Practices (HIPs). FGCU assesses critical thinking, information literacy, & written communication skills among graduating seniors annually, allowing us to compare HIPs directly. Seniors that complete research-focused capstones perform significantly better than students completing service-learning or internship experiences. Research appears to strengthen students’ use of evidence, which then improves the overall development of these transferable skills.

10:40 AM

A Model for a Multidisciplinary Faculty-Mentored Research-Internship Hybrid

Eric Freundt, University of Tampa

BHC 128

10:40 AM - 10:55 AM

The Applied Learning Experience (ALEX) program at The University of Tampa pairs multidisciplinary teams of UT students with local companies to solve real-world problems. Tampa Bay organizations provide problems or creative opportunities that may benefit from a multidisciplinary, inquiry-based approach. Teams of three to four students from different academic majors then collaborate to produce a deliverable for the organization within a 14-week timeframe. ALEX teams also benefit from supervision by a faculty committee composed of members with subject-area expertise. This session will the present logistics, the challenges, lessons learned, and initial outcomes of the program.

11:40 AM

All Nuts and No Bolts: The Evolution of Undergraduate Research at a Small State School

James Hawker, South Florida State College

BHC 128

11:40 AM - 1:25 PM

In fall of 2017, students first started doing research with their biology instructor, and just a few terms later, two students have earned Portz Interdisciplinary Fellowships. In some ways, the program is going well with students participating in high numbers, but organizers still have questions about the “nuts and bolts” of establishing the program within the institution. Enthusiasm is high! However, key metrics are not being tracked and the workload needs to be distributed more evenly. The organizers will be talking with the audience about different ways to integrate UGR into the institution.