Summer Research Internships Prepare High School Students for 21st Century Biomedical Careers (original) (raw)
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2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access Proceedings
oversees multiple Education and Outreach programs at the University of Texas at Austin. Her roles include: Staff Education and Outreach Director for the Center for Dynamics and Control of Materials, a Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) and as the Pre-college Education Director for the NASCENT Engineering Research Center focused on nanomanufacturing. She manages programs in the areas of graduate student traineeship and career development, undergraduate research, Research Experiences for K-12 Teachers, high school student research internships, and general science/engineering outreach to the local K-12 community.
Participation in Research Apprenticeship Program: Issues Related to Career Choice in STEM
International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 2018
Research apprenticeship experiences provide a uniquely authentic context for deepening participants' understanding of the nature of science and encouraging them to choose STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) studies and careers. This study evaluated a STEM program for high school students who engaged in science research with the mentoring support of academic and industrial experts. The goals were to explore how graduates perceived the program as a factor affecting their choice to specialize in a STEM career and whether the findings demonstrate gender differences. Using the sequential mixed method, 24 students were interviewed, and then, the findings were used to develop a questionnaire to which 116 program graduates responded. The responses revealed four main themes of contribution: development in science learning, development of self-efficacy, effect on students' choice of specializing in science and technology in the future, and sense of belonging to the residential area. The results indicate a positive correlation between the attitudes of students participating in the program and their expectation to pursue a STEM-related career. Statistically significant differences were found between the attitudes of the young men and women. The study provides a deeper understanding of the gender gaps in science education.
CBE life sciences education, 2017
Do summer laboratory research apprenticeships during high school have an impact on entry into MD/PhD programs? Apart from the nearly decade-long span of time between high school and matriculation into an MD/PhD program, young people have many life-shaping experiences that presumably impact their education and career trajectories. This quantitative study (n = 236,432) examines the connection between early laboratory research apprenticeship experiences at the high school level and matriculation into one of the more rigorous educational programs for scientific research training. The span of time covered by this analysis reaches across more than a decade, examining the potential importance of research experiences during the precollege years in the educational trajectory of young people. Intertwined with this question on research experiences is a second major concern regarding diversity in the life sciences research corps. Diversity in this wide-ranging discipline refers specifically to ...
Journal of STEM Education: Innovations and Research, 2017
In 2000 several STEM faculty at Bethel College in Kansas designed and began offering a one-week intensive residential summer research experience for high school students – the Bethel College Summer Science Institute. The core idea underlying the design was to motivate students through the excitement of discovery. This event has been offered annually since that time and emphasizes collaboration with others during the research process, learning laboratory techniques, systematic data recording, data analysis methods, formal oral presentation of research results, exposure to cutting-edge STEM topics, and a residential experience with recreational activities mentored by college STEM students. Research topics have varied across STEM disciplines, including biology, psychology, chemistry, neuroscience, computer science, engineering, mathematics, and astronomy. Instruction involves a bare minimum of didactic presentation with emphasis on active involvement in laboratory or field activities. ...
2020
University-led K-12 outreach programs are designed to expose students to a variety of fields and career choices, but the benefits and outcomes of these have not been well documented. Existing programs often range from short presentations to more extensive residential summer programs. Nationally, there are only a few university-led high school human anatomy camps, with no current publications focusing on a formal evaluation of their goals. Described herein is a week-long human anatomy summer camp at Colorado State University (CSU) designed to inspire high school students to attend college and attract them to STEM majors and careers. The camp schedule includes lectures presented by CSU’s faculty, hands-on activities including learn from human cadavers and animal organs, as well as mentorship opportunities. Success of the program is measured by qualitative feedback and a follow-up survey to measure if the goals of the camp were well received. The data shows that all 28 of the senior hi...
Research in Science Education, 2012
Research apprenticeships for secondary students provide authentic contexts for learning science in which students engage in scientific investigations with practicing scientists in working laboratory groups. Student experiences in these research apprenticeships vary depending on the individual nature of the laboratory in which students have been placed. This study explores potential relationships among student experiences in apprenticeship contexts and desired student outcomes (e.g. science content knowledge, understandings of nature of science, and aspirations for science oriented career plans). The following two research questions guided the study: How do participant experiences in and outcomes resulting from an authentic research program for high school students vary? How does variation in participant experiences in an authentic research program relate to participant outcomes? Primary data sources were student and mentor interviews in addition to student generated concept maps. Results indicated that the greatest variance in student experiences existed in the categories of collaboration, epistemic involvement, and understandings of the significance of research results. The greatest variation in desired student outcomes was observed in student understandings of nature of science and in students' future science plans. Results suggested that collaboration and interest in the project were experience aspects most likely to be related to desired outcomes. Implications for the design of research apprenticeships for secondary students are discussed.
Four science programs at our public urban liberal arts college have struggled to attract and retain majors: physics, environmental studies, geology, and teaching science. The Brooklyn Opportunities in Science and Careers (BOSC) program aims to increase student participation in these majors using a new career-focused strategy to recruit students. Our hypothesis is that by providing capable students with information about employment prospects in diverse sciencerelated careers during the summer before their freshman year, we could increase the total number of majors and graduates in these science departments. Field trips to explore science careers in unanticipated settings and a Career Investigation Project are the core innovations of the BOSC program. Students work in collaborative groups to investigate potential careers, gaining skills important in almost all careers such as teamwork and preparing and delivering presentations. Institutional and program evaluation data indicate that the BOSC program has had a significant positive impact on both the program participants and on the cultures and enrollments in the target departments.
Activities in an S-STEM Program To Catalyze Early Entry into Research
Journal of Chemical Education, 2016
A cohort program to increase retention of under-represented groups in chemistry was developed at the College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University. In particular, this program chose to emphasize early career mentoring and early access to research. This goal was chosen because research has been repeatedly shown to increase scientific identity resulting in increased retention of students in the STEM fields. Several elements of this program have been useful in preparing students to access research programs early in their college careers including a summer bridge program, career mentoring, advising, and a second year "research bootcamp" course.
Undergraduate Research Experiences Support Science Career Decisions and Active Learning
Cell Biology Education, 2007
The present study examined the reliability of student evaluations of summer undergraduate research experiences using the SURE (Survey of Undergraduate Research Experiences) and a follow-up survey disseminated 9 mo later. The survey further examines the hypothesis that undergraduate research enhances the educational experience of science undergraduates, attracts and retains talented students to careers in science, and acts as a pathway for minority students into science careers. Undergraduates participated in an online survey on the benefits of undergraduate research experiences. Participants indicated gains on 20 potential benefits and reported on career plans. Most of the participants began or continued to plan for postgraduate education in the sciences. A small group of students who discontinued their plans for postgraduate science education reported significantly lower gains than continuing students. Women and men reported similar levels of benefits and similar patterns of career...
Stem Camp: Active Involvement in Research and Science Endeavors
2019
At almost every step of the STEM education ladder, we see girls walk away. By seventh grade, most girls have lost interest in these fields, and few high school girls plan to pursue STEM in college. Our goal for the camp is to provide encouraging STEM Education experiences to rising eighth grade girls from Wood County and Northwest Ohio by organizing a camp introducing them to emerging areas in STEM and exposing them to the environment of higher education. During this presentation, we will discuss the camp structure, curriculum design, research design and the research findings. This presentation will present data based on pre-and post-evaluations collected and analyzed based on the learning outcomes for the 2018 Camp. Camp participants responded to daily reflective questions on each class, workshop and field trip and we used this data in planning the curriculum for the next year. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected. Some of the data suggests that there was a 20% increase in the number of girls indicating an interest in pursuing a career in science after attending the camp. After completing the camp, 100% girls reported their goal was to attend college. Ninety-eight percent of the campers positively rated the opportunities provided by camp to learn about the real world applications of STEM. After successful completion of Tech Trek, we concluded that these girls think about themselves as future scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and computer specialists and the camp experience ignites their interest in STEM.