Involving university students in collecting long term urban wildlife data using a 4DEE course-based undergraduate research experience

Laurel Hartley, Department of Integrative Biology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO and St. Onge Sarah, Integrative Biology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO

Background/Question/Methods
The Urban Wildlife Information Network Course Based Undergraduate Research Experience (UIWN-CURE) is a six-week unit meant to engage introductory undergraduates in collecting data from their city to contribute to the UWIN’s long-term monitoring and research endeavors. UWIN is a partnership of researchers who use standard wildlife monitoring protocols to understand ecology and behavior of urban species. By comparing data throughout the network, we can understand differences in animal behavior across regions and find patterns that remain consistent around the globe. Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience Network defines a CURE as a research experience in an undergraduate course that focuses on the following important aspects: uses scientific practices, results in discovery of new knowledge, investigates relevant work, and involves collaboration and iteration. The UWIN CURE has been implemented for 6 semesters in Introductory Biology at the University of Colorado Denver, with over 400 students each year participating. We used the Laboratory Course Assessment Survey (LCAS) to assess whether students perceived that the UWIN CURE met important CURE design features. We mapped our learning objectives to the 4DEE framework. We evaluated final term papers from students who took the course before and after the CURE was implemented to assess whether students who participate in this CURE achieve targeted scientific process skills and have a better understanding of experimental design. We administered the Persistence in Sciences survey to assess how this CURE influenced student perceptions related to scientific identity and persistence in the sciences
Results/Conclusions
The UWIN CURE integrates a local, socially important, and authentic urban wildlife monitoring project into a large enrollment introductory biology laboratory, where students learn authentic scientific process skills by participating in real research. Shown through the Laboratory Course Assessment Survey, our CURE has successfully incorporated aspects of collaboration, discovery, relevance, and iteration. There were also positive affectual gains seen through the Persistence in the Sciences Survey, showing achievement of our science identity learning objectives and likelihood of student retention in a scientific field. In addition, there were increases in scientific process skills seen through student writing samples. Overall, this CURE has contributed data to a national research collaborative program (UWIN), has introduced students to the important dimensions of the 4DEE framework, and has accomplished many, if not all, of its learning objectives. We posit that this CURE can both increase 4DEE learning and be a way to grow partnerships in the Urban Wildlife Information Network.