What's special about FSCS?
Inquiry-based learning, scholarship and creative accomplishments can, and do, foster effective, deep levels of student learning.
Data to support the use of FSCS
Participation in undergraduate research significantly increases degree completion rates. This seems to be especially true of minority undergraduates. Undergraduate research program participants are more proactive about all aspects of their undergraduate education and they are more likely to continue their education following the bachelor’s degree. The literature that supports the use of undergraduate research and scholarship as a pedagogical tool is growing. Browse some of the resources below:
This is a joint statement of principles in support of undergraduate research, scholarship and creative activities endorsed by the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) and the National Council on Undergraduate Research (NCUR). The reference list provides data substantiating the endorsement: http://www.cur.org/SummitPosition.html
The University of Pittsburgh has compiled a long list of references that identify benefits of undergraduate research: http://cwt4.chem.pitt.edu/ugrad/reu/efficacy.htm
Nagda, B.A., Gregerman, S.R., Jonides, J., von Hippel, W. & Lerner, J.S. Undergraduate student-faculty research partnerships affect student retention. Review of Higher Education. 22 (1998) 55-72. May be accessed at: http://journals.ohiolink.edu:6873/journals/review_of_higher_education/v022/22.1nagda.html
Ishiyama, J. Does early participation in undergraduate research benefit social science and humanities students? College Student Journal. 36 (2002) 380-386.
Lopatto, D. Survey of undergraduate research experiences (SURE): First findings. Cell Biology Education, 3 (2004) 270-277.
Kardash, C.M. Evaluation of an undergraduate research experience: Perceptions of undergraduate interns and their faculty mentors. Journal of Educational Psychology. 92 (2000) 191-201.
Other Helpful Articles about FSCS:
Bettison-Varga, L. Creative activity and undergraduate research across the disciplines. PeerReview Winter 2006, 19-21.
Crowe, M. Creative scholarship through undergraduate research. PeerReview Winter 2006, 16-18.
Elgren, T. & Hensel, N. Undergraduate research experiences: Synergies between scholarship and teaching. PeerReview Winter 2006, 4-7.
Gonzalez, C. Undergraduate research, graduate mentoring, and the university’s mission. Science 293 (2001) 1624-1626.
Hathaway, R.S., Nagda, B.A., & Gregerman, S.R. The relationship of undergraduate research participation to graduate and professional education pursuit: An empirical study. Journal of College Student Development, 43 (2002) 614-631.
Lopatto, D. Undergraduate research as a catalyst for liberal learning. PeerReview Winter 2006, 22-25.
Mervis, J. Student research: What is it good for? Science 293 (2001) 1614-1615.
Faculty resources: Techniques to facilitate FSCS
The Council on Undergraduate Research has a number of helpful resources to aide faculty in their mentoring of undergraduate scholarly and creative work. For example, see: http://www.cur.org
This pamphlet is especially useful:
Merkel, C.A. & Baker, S.M. How to mentor undergraduate researchers. The Council on Undergraduate Research, Washington DC, 2002.
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