Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) engage students in creative and scholarly practice within the classroom. CUREnet describes CUREs as engaging “whole classes of students in addressing a research question or problem that is of interest to stakeholders outside the classroom”. CUREs extend into creative and artistic spaces through activities such as, “the improvisation of existing motifs, genres, and compositional technique/structures” (Judge, Shannahan, & Young, 2018). CUREs exist within all disciplinary traditions and are akin to practice, inquiry, or discovery lab courses, but have a distinct pedagogy.

Specifically, during CUREs, students:

• Engage in the creative or scholarly process by asking a relevant question and generate results or products that are novel to themselves and their instructors.
• Engage in iterative work, where they trouble-shoot, problem-solve, and repeat aspects of their work for the scholarship to progress.
• Communicate their scholarship to a group of stakeholders, either orally or in writing or both. As part of this process, students engage with relevant literature to understand the rationale for the research and articulate how their work builds and contributes to a body of knowledge.

Stakeholders: Refers to any combination of academic unit, business, non-profit, industry, site supervisor, community partner, sponsor.

Fischer, A. E., Immel, K. R., Wilkum, K., & Lee, L. (2021). A Taxonomy for Developing Undergraduate Research Experiences as High-Impact Practices. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 21(1), 84-106.

Hunter, A. B., Laursen, S. L., & Seymour, E. (2007). Becoming a scientist: The role of undergraduate research in students' cognitive, personal, and professional development. Science education, 91(1), 36-74.

Lopatto, D. (2010). Undergraduate research as a high-impact student experience. Peer review, 12(2), 27-31.

Mordacq, J. C., Drane, D. L., Swarat, S. L., & Lo, S. M. (2017). Development of course-based undergraduate research experiences using a design-based approach. Journal of College Science Teaching, 46(4).

For the purpose of the Voyage, instructors should consider the following during design and implementation:

1. The process of inquiry and creation, not solely on the end product. 
2. Scaffolded learning within the course, including: 
   1. Identification of questions or issues for exploration; 
   2. Development of skill sets needed to identify and implement appropriate methodologies; 
   3. Development of self-efficacy in exploration and inquiry;  
3. Recognition of scholarly/creative activity as a public good – students learn skills needed to communicate results (e.g., speaking, writing, exhibiting, performing, or producing) and share results in settings appropriate to the course. 
4. Sustained time on task, supported by substantive, meaningful feedback from both peers and instructor(s). 
5. Equitable access for all students to participate in experiences and opportunities in this course; requires an intentional plan for inclusivity in learning activities/assessment. 
6. Structured, formative reflection and integration. 

How to use CUREs in the Voyage, adapted from CURENet

When preparing to design or adapt a course to be a CURE, utilize the following steps in your planning:

1. Articulate research goals for the CURE. There are many ways to achieve desirable student outcomes. What makes CURE distinctive is the research element, which functions as the scientific goalpost or boundary for the CURE.
2. Articulate student goals. Consider a broad range of student goals, not just knowledge and skills. For example, could the CURE be a context for students to explore research as a career path or develop tolerance for ambiguity or resilience in the face of failure?
3. State objectives and design tasks that students complete to make progress in the research AND their own learning and development.
4. Maximize equity and inclusion by identifying potential inequities that may affect students' experiences and success in doing research (e.g., whether students have prior lab experience) and structuring the CURE to mitigate or eliminate these inequities.
5. Design assessments that align with doing research, such as students' contributions to group meeting discussions, lab notebook entries, research progress reports, and culminating papers or presentations.
6. Identify the various people who may play an instructional role in the CURE, such as scientist collaborators, graduate teaching assistants, lab prep staff, and experienced undergraduates as peer mentors. Evaluate the strengths and limitations of each and develop plans for their ongoing involvement.   

Benefits:

There are numerous documented benefits for students to engage in mentored undergraduate research, scholarship and creative practice. Improved grades, persistence to graduation and career readiness highlight a few examples. Visit the Office of Undergraduate Research for a general overview on Why Should Students Do Research?

Course-based experiences provide a broader population of students with the opportunity to participate in research and creative inquiry. Students enroll in the course and earn credit, rather than apply for a limited number of conventional one-on-one mentored positions. A course format engages a cohort of students in collective inquiry, which reduces barriers for student participation and builds a sense of belonging. Furthermore, bringing the experience into the required coursework, particularly when offered at the introductory level, improves inclusivity, and provides support for students to access additional curricular and co-curricular research and creative inquiry experiences.

Suggested Readings
Auchincloss, L. C., Laursen, S. L., Branchaw, J. L., Eagan, K., Graham, M., Hanauer, D. I., ... & Dolan, E. L. (2014). Assessment of course-based undergraduate research experiences: a meeting report.

Dolan, E. L. (2016). Course-based undergraduate research experiences: current knowledge and future directions [White paper]. National Research Council Commissioned Paper, 1-34. https://sites.nationalacademies.org/cs/groups/dbassesite/documents/webpage/dbasse_177288.pdf

Dolan, E. L., & Weaver, G. C. (2021). A guide to course-based undergraduate research: Developing and implementing CUREs in the natural sciences. W.H. Freeman. 

Hensel, N. H. (Ed.). (2023). Course-based undergraduate research: Educational equity and high-impact practice. Taylor & Francis.

Judge, V., Shanahan, J.O., & Young, G. (2018). Undergraduate Research in Art: A Guide for Students (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429503979

Sathy, V., Strauss, C. L., Nasiri, M., Panter, A. T., Hogan, K. A., & Hutson, B. L. (2021). Cultivating inclusive research experiences through course-based curriculum. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology, 7(4), 312–322. https://doi.org/10.1037/stl0000215

Waterman, R., & Heemstra, J. (Eds.). (2018). Expanding the CURE model: course-based undergraduate research experience. Research corporation for science advancement.

Assessment and Rubric Examples

The Research Skills Development (RSD) Framework, initiated by John Willison and Kerry O'Regan (Adelaide, AU). The tool is used to analyze and plan curriculum for the systematic development of students' research skills.  The framework is descriptive, scalable, and useful for assignment, course, or program planning purposes. 

Humanities Research Skills Scaffolding: Building Toward Mastery in the Senior Year, by Jenny Olin Shanahan from Creative Inquiry in the Arts and Humanities: Models of Undergraduate Research. Rubric to guide skill development in humanities research from introductory courses to capstone. Themes include scaffolding course content, research skills, and disposition to achieve mastery of the major learning objectives by the senior level capstone course.

Project-Based Learning: IUPUI High-Impact Practice Taxonomy. The IUPUI high-impact practice taxonomy is specific to Project Based Learning with Attributes that indicate problem solving, communication, and innovation. It is designed to support instructors in the iterative development and improvement of courses.

Webinar from CUR: Assessment Strategies for Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (2018)

Examples of CUREs at GVSU

Applying the taxonomy for HIP Quality Elements (Lee et al) to current courses at GVSU

Below are two examples of CUREs at GVSU. Each example includes a course overview and an evaluation of the taxonomy for 8 quality elements.

• Research examplewith first year STEM lab course
  • CMB156: Discoveries in Cell & Molecular Biology: A Research Based Laboratory Course
• Creative Practice example for 300 level illustration course with external mentors
  • ART389: Illustration: Mentorship

Examples of CUREs by Discipline

STEM Disciplines

• CURENet- STEM specific database for open access course materials.
  • Purpose: CUREnet was established in 2012 to support networking among faculty developing, teaching, and assessing CUREs, to share CURE projects and resources, and to develop new tools and strategies for CURE instruction and assessment.
  • Materials are reviewed and specific materials required for submission (for example, syllabus, assignments, background information for institution and class size)
  • Search CUREnet Collection by keywords.
    • Example in Ecology
    • Example in Biochemistry
    • Example in Aquatic Biology
  • Examples for large scale authentic research experiences and sustainability

• University of Texas at Austin Freshman Research Initiative
  • Purpose: The FRI program piloted with two sections (approximately 30 students) in 2006 and now includes over 1000 undergraduate students each year with more than 30 different research streams. It is a required series of 3 CUREs.
  • Assessment of Student Outcomes: Rodenbusch SE, Hernandez PR, Simmons SL, Dolan EL. Early Engagement in Course-Based Research Increases Graduation Rates and Completion of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Degrees. CBE Life Sci Educ. 2016 Summer;15(2):ar20. doi: 10.1187/cbe.16-03-0117. PMID: 27252296; PMCID: PMC4909342.
  • Research streams relate to the instructor’s area of research and include a graduate level mentor. Students explore unanswered questions in science, math and technology.
  • Example in Cell Signaling

Social Science Disciplines

• Interdisciplinary research at Jackson State University using linked courses in sociology and social work.
  • Reference : Donley, S., & Paige, A. (2018). Sociology and Social Work Undergraduates’ Experiences Participating in a Research Project on Campus Sexual Assault and Misconduct. Journal of Applied Social Science, 12(1), 46–58. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26370955
  • Article describes course design, major assignments and assessment of student learning experiences.

Humanities Disciplines

• Book Chapter: A design approach to undergraduate research for 1^st-year students by William Loker, Thia Wolf.
  • Brief Description (also see abstract ): The chapter describes an undergraduate research course in English-Anthropology that is designed for first year students at California State University, Chico. Themes include peer mentoring, scaling and course design that fosters an inclusive learning environment, particularly focused on the success of underserved students. The course can also serve as a model for undergraduate research in large enrollment courses for other disciplines.
  • Chapter 6 (page 81-91) of the following book: Zilvinskis, J., Kinzie, J., Daday, J., O'Donnell, K., & Vande Zande, C. (Eds.). (2022). Delivering on the Promise of High-Impact Practices: Research and Models for Achieving Equity, Fidelity, Impact, and Scale (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003444022
  • Online and physical copy of full text available through GVSU library.
• University of North Carolina CURE Course Listings
  • CURE courses are listed by discipline with a course description and instructor materials. Includes research courses in diverse disciplines. Examples here highlight the humanities.
    • English example (Syllabus) ENGL 385: Literature and Law
    • History example (Syllabus) HIST 273: Water, Conflict and Connection in the Middle East

Interested in developing a CURE?

GVSU Resources and Funding

• Connect with the Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship (https://www.gvsu.edu/ours/) and the Pew Faculty Teaching and Learning Center (https://www.gvsu.edu/ftlc/)
• Explore resources and events through the CLAS Center for Experiential Learning (CCEL) (https://www.gvsu.edu/ccel/)
• Submit a Faculty Support Request form through CCEL
• Learn through professional development and conferences

The Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship (OURS) provides membership in the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) to all GVSU faculty, staff, and students. Activate your membership at the link:

Council On Undergraduate Research - Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship - Grand Valley State University (gvsu.edu) 

Guide to student self-reflection during a project: Website reviews creative methods to administer reflection in problem-based learning and defines key terminology with embedded videos. This is a good starting point for those that want to create or modify a reflective tool. Author John Spencer (2024)

Scaffolded Reflection as a tool for Surfacing Complex Learning in Undergraduate Research Projects. Table 1, page 35 includes the prompts.

Undergraduate Research Questions: Includes questions grouped by the following categories: 1) General Research-Related; 2) Future Plans; 3) Skill-Related

The EvaluateUR and EvaluateUR-CURE Method: Free tool applicable across multiple disciplines that can be used for students to reflect on their learning and faculty to assess student learning outcomes. Two separate tools available: 1) Independent Undergraduate Research and 2) Course-Based Research.

Auchincloss, L. C., Laursen, S. L., Branchaw, J. L., Eagan, K., Graham, M., Hanauer, D. I., ... & Dolan, E. L. (2014). Assessment of course-based undergraduate research experiences: a meeting report.

Dolan, E. L. (2016). Course-based undergraduate research experiences: current knowledge and future directions [White paper]. National Research Council Commissioned Paper, 1-34. https://sites.nationalacademies.org/cs/groups/dbassesite/documents/webpage/dbasse_177288.pdf

Dolan, E. L., & Weaver, G. C. (2021). A guide to course-based undergraduate research: Developing and implementing CUREs in the natural sciences. W.H. Freeman. 

Fischer, A. E., Immel, K. R., Wilkum, K., & Lee, L. (2021). A Taxonomy for Developing Undergraduate Research Experiences as High-Impact Practices. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 21(1), 84-106.

Hensel, N. H. (Ed.). (2023). Course-based undergraduate research: Educational equity and high-impact practice. Taylor & Francis.

Hunter, A. B., Laursen, S. L., & Seymour, E. (2007). Becoming a scientist: The role of undergraduate research in students' cognitive, personal, and professional development. Science education, 91(1), 36-74.

Judge, V., Shanahan, J.O., & Young, G. (2018). Undergraduate Research in Art: A Guide for Students (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429503979

Lopatto, D. (2010). Undergraduate research as a high-impact student experience. Peer review, 12(2), 27-31.

Mordacq, J. C., Drane, D. L., Swarat, S. L., & Lo, S. M. (2017). Development of course-based undergraduate research experiences using a design-based approach. Journal of College Science Teaching, 46(4).

Sathy, V., Strauss, C. L., Nasiri, M., Panter, A. T., Hogan, K. A., & Hutson, B. L. (2021). Cultivating inclusive research experiences through course-based curriculum. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology, 7(4), 312–322. https://doi.org/10.1037/stl0000215

Waterman, R., & Heemstra, J. (Eds.). (2018). Expanding the CURE model: course-based undergraduate research experience. Research corporation for science advancement.