The Role of Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences in Extending Transformative Learning to All Students
Keywords:
teaching and learning, SoTL, transformative learning, experiential learning, service learningAbstract
Meaningful undergraduate research experiences have traditionally been limited to elite students. Barriers on the student side, and incentive structures that reward faculty for mentoring high performing students, have served to maintain the status quo. As research confirms the multifaceted benefits derived from undergraduate research experiences, it is essential that they be extended broadly, so that a more diverse group of students can profit. This paper argues that shared elements of well-designed course-based undergraduate research experiences, including instructor scaffolding and collaborative dialogue, serve to both make undergraduate research more widely accessible, and foster the achievement of a transformative learning experience. This claim is supported by case studies of three different types of course-based undergraduate research opportunities that delivered transformative learning experiences to average students.
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