Florida Statewide Symposium: Best Practices in Undergraduate Research

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.

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.

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.