Each year, we gather an amazing team of mentors who develop potential projects for REU students. Read through these descriptions to get a sense of what we do each summer and pick out your three favorites! You'll need that for the application - we match students with projects and mentors to help ensure a successful summer for everyone!

GENERAL STEM EDUCATION RESEARCH

(1) Working 9 to 5? How working undergraduates navigate college
Mentoring team: Tara Slominski and Jenni Momsen

It’s increasingly common that today’s college students are working a part-time or full time job during the school year. Working students are balancing many responsibilities and it’s likely they may need to prioritize working over studying, attending review sessions, and in some instances, attending class. Although we are well aware that many of our students are working, there is little research describing the experiences of working undergraduates, particularly in STEM fields. 

In this project, we will work to describe the realities of being a working undergraduate student pursuing a STEM degree. You will work closely with Tara and Jenni to analyze data collected from a large, gateway STEM course. You will also have the opportunity to collect new data and uncover how students experience these barriers in their own voice. Though this experience, you will:

• Develop an understanding of the barriers and challenges working students experience
• Learn qualitative and quantitative research techniques
• Synthesize research findings in the form of a scientific poster to be presented at the conclusion of the program

(2) Shaping Non-Major Science: Assessing the Goals of General Education Science Requirements and the Courses that Serve Them
Mentoring Team: Wil Falkner and Lisa Montplaisir

University students all across America typically have to take some amount of general education courses throughout their undergraduate career, especially from the natural and social sciences. Why? What are the goals of these courses? Furthermore, can any singular science course meet all of these goals? Some institutions have special distinctions between non-major and major introductory science courses and others do not. Do either of these approaches meet the goals of general education requirements? This project serves as the first steps into investigating the requirements of science general education courses. We will explore the science general education requirements at multiple institutions across the US, including an analysis of course syllabi. Our goal is to identify trends across courses in terms of what skills and content knowledge are valued. After identifying the goals of general education science, we can then establish the next steps in evaluating whether students are meeting these goals at either the institutional or course level. 

During this project, you will:

• Develop an understanding of general education course philosophies, general education goals and objectives, and the differences between disciplines as it applies to meeting these goals
• Learn qualitative research methods collecting publicly available artifacts, coding syllabi and general education goals
• Draw conclusions from qualitative data and interpret these findings
• Develop future directions and research questions to follow-up these findings
• Communicate findings in writing and presentation

BIOLOGY EDUCATION RESEARCH

(3) Shaping Vaccine Choices: The Role of Science Communication Strategies in Biology Education
Mentoring team: Marley Lund-Peterson, Danielle Condry, and Kimberly Booth

Do you ever wonder what motivates people’s healthcare decisions? This project explores the factors influencing vaccine decision-making among general education biology students, focusing on the values, beliefs, and cognitive biases that shape their choices. We aim to determine if using evidence-based science communication strategies during teaching impacts students’ vaccine choices and what values/biases inform their decision to vaccinate for influenza and COVID-19. We will also determine if students are influenced by the same values and biases for both influenza and COVID-19 vaccine choices. By examining values and cognitive biases in vaccine decision-making, this project will provide insights to inform public health strategies and undergraduate biology teaching and improve vaccination communication efforts.

The student researcher on this project will:

• Develop an understanding of how to analyze and interpret data using relevant literature;
• Practice research-driven communication by articulating progress, setbacks, and concerns to collaborating researchers;
• Draw conclusions based on the findings of the analysis;
• Suggest future directions that may lead to an impact on science communication efforts; and
• Synthesize research findings in the form of a scientific poster to be presented at the end of the summer program.

(4) Is it all fixed? Mindset, metaphors, and collaboration in genetics
Mentoring team: Emily Hackerson and Jenni Momsen

Do you have strong opinions on Punnett squares? Have you ever heard genes referred to as a blueprint for development? Genetics is a concept in biology that is often taught using models and metaphors and sometimes these metaphors persist in students’ understanding of the topic. The way we talk about genetics may also be different when we work together in groups. 

Here at NDSU we are interested in how students’ define concepts like ”gene” and if the use of certain metaphors is related to other beliefs the student holds. We are also interested in how working in a group changes how we approach problem solving in genetics. Specifically we are interested in student mindset and belief in genetic essentialism, in both individual and collaborative settings. The student working on this project will collaborate with Emily and Jenni to analyze individual student interviews, written responses, and some focus groups to learn more about how students conceptualize and discuss abstract biological concepts. Specifically you will:

• Develop a deeper understanding of the current literature on genetic essentialism and mindset
• Learn qualitative and quantitative research techniques
• Communicate your science to our community of researchers
• Synthesize research findings in the form of a scientific poster to be presented at the conclusion of the program. 

(5) There is grandeur in the systems of life: Using natural selection as a way to understand students’ reasoning about a perturbation in a system
Mentoring team: Daniel Fergusona and Jenni Momsen

What kind of cognitive processes are used by students when modeling a system? We know that models are an effective way to help students construct and understand a biological system and can even help connect ideas that might otherwise seem unconnected. However, what is not yet understood is the students’ cognitive reasoning processes used when students build these models when there is a deviation from the system normality.   

In this project, you will analyze students' models of natural selection and, to further understand their reasoning, conduct interviews with students. This work will build on the Biology Systems Thinking framework which is a way to unify biology education and help educators understand the reasoning of their students when thinking through complex system scenarios. 

Through participation in this project, you will:

• Develop a knowledge base about systems thinking
• Learn qualitative research methods, including coding student models and interviews
• Develop research questions and design a next-step experiment
• Communicate your findings to diverse audiences through a poster presentation

(6) Never Judge a Course by its Syllabus: How Course Syllabi Shape Perceptions
Mentor: Jenni Momsen

Can you really judge a course by the syllabus? We know that fostering a welcoming and inclusive learning environment begins well before a student sets foot in the classroom. And while the syllabus is ubiquitous to all courses, little research has explored whether and how the course syllabus contributes to establishing an inclusive classroom community.

In this project, you’ll work with course syllabi to determine just how inclusive they are; then, you’ll analyze student interviews to explore how students use the syllabus to make judgements about the instructor and the course. This work will help instructors and researchers re-envision the course syllabus as a cornerstone of establishing inclusive learning communities.

Through participation in this project, you will:

• Develop a knowledge base about inclusive syllabus practices
• Learn qualitative research methods, including coding course documents and interviews
• Develop research questions and design a next-step experiment
• Communicate your findings to diverse audiences

CHEMISTRY EDUCATION RESEARCH

(7) There’s a world where I get another try? Exploring Alternative Grading in Chemistry
Mentoring team: Ariana McDarby and Alexey Leontyev

Have you ever wondered how your instructor decides how you'll earn your course grade? Traditionally, grades are often determined by points, considering the A-F or 0-100% scales. In recent years, there have been instructors choosing to move towards using alternative grading systems in their chemistry courses. This structure looks different from the traditional grading systems we have been accustomed to, both in terms of grading and course structure. Join us this summer to learn more about alternative grading and develop research skills!

While working on this project, the student researcher will: 

• Become familiar with alternative grading practices used in chemistry
• Develop an understanding of the research landscape on alternative grading practices
• Code and analyze data from interview transcripts and syllabi
• Practice qualitative and quantitative research skills working alongside a graduate student and faculty mentor
• Communicate their work through a scientific poster and informal verbal presentation

(8) Students’ Conceptual Understanding of Fundamental Chemistry Concepts
Mentor: James Nyachwaya

Conceptual understanding in chemistry is a goal that instructors have for their courses and students. One way of measuring or ascertaining the level of conceptual understanding is through assessment. Research in chemistry education has consistently shown that while most students show mastery of facts and memorized procedures, they struggle to demonstrate true conceptual understanding. Through student responses to open ended questions, we seek to characterize students’ conceptual understanding of basic, fundamental chemistry concepts. Our data is drawn from a general chemistry course.

Research Question: What is the nature of general chemistry students’ conceptual understanding of fundamental concepts such as the particulate nature of matter?

In the course of the research experience, participants will:

• Synthesize literature on conceptual understanding in chemistry,
• Analyze student data to determine the nature of understanding,
• Synthesize research findings in the form of a scientific poster presented at the conclusion of the program, and
• Present their research progress in lab group meeting at least once during the summer.

(9) Organic Chemistry Students’ Achievement Emotions
Mentoring Team: Alexey Leontyev and Krystal Grieger

Have you ever wondered how your emotions within a course impact your course performance? Student achievement emotions such as anger, anxiety, boredom, enjoyment, hope, hopelessness, pride, and shame have been shown to influence the development of student attitudes, interest, and motivation, which subsequently impact student success in a course. Despite the importance of achievement emotions, very few studies have evaluated their impact within organic chemistry courses. Therefore, the goal of this project is to modify the Achievement Emotions Questionnaire-Short to be used within organic chemistry courses (AEQ-S4OC) and evaluate its utility for measuring student achievement emotions.

In this project, you will have the opportunity to evaluate the AEQ-S4OC instrument for its utility in measuring student achievement emotions within organic chemistry courses and identify the impact of student emotions on their course success.

Through completing this project, the REU student will be able to:

• Investigate the impact of achievement emotions on student success in organic chemistry.
• Qualitatively analyze student responses to open-ended course attitude questions.
• Use statistical software to analyze the reliability and validity of the instrument’s data and inferences drawn.
• Communicate their findings through a scientific poster and informal verbal presentation.

PHYSICS EDUCATION RESEARCH

(10) Does Context Matter? Looking at How Life Science Students Work Through Physics Problems
Mentoring team: Tyler Garcia and Mila Kryjevskaia

Most life science students at NDSU need to take a physics course. While physics is important for students in life science, some concepts discussed in a traditional physics-centered manner may not be perceived by the life science students as relevant to their future career paths. We are interested in exploring how reframing traditional physics problems for context more closely related to life sciences affects student thinking. We plan on analyzing life science students' work through both survey data taken from the algebra based physics class and one-on-one interviews looking at students’ work more in depth.

During this research project, students will have an opportunity to:

• Develop an understanding of cognitive processes employed during problem-solving
• Develop new physics tasks closely aligned with life sciences contexts  tAnalyze survey data from an algebra-based physics class
• Code and analyze student interviews
• Communicate findings through a poster presentation

(11) Physicists say WHAT about F=ma?? Analyzing Expert Interpretations of Common Physics Equations
Mentoring team: Will Riihiluoma and John Buncher

In physics, mathematical equations are constantly used to describe physical phenomena or express relationships between physical quantities. One way that students can begin to “think like a physicist” is by developing their ability to see physics equations and translate them into common language–by developing a sense of understanding what the equations are “telling them” as far as what quantities are being related and in what ways they interrelate.

As a part of this project, you will study data collected from expert physicists to see what this skill looks like once extensively developed. This will include both analyzing previously-collected video data of graduate students and professors interpreting equations they are familiar with, as well as collecting and analyzing data yourself from this same population. Outcomes from this project will help us better understand what types of interpretations we may want students to develop as they learn to “think like physicists.”

Through participation in this project, students will:

• Learn qualitative methods, including conducting and analyzing think-aloud interviews
• Present their research progress as part of an oral presentation to their fellow REU participants and other faculty mentors
• Synthesize their findings in the form of a scientific poster to be presented at the conclusion of the program
• Compare their findings on expert interpretations to those for students throughout the physics curriculum

(12) What does it mean to “do an integral”? Investigating differences in thinking about math concepts and operations in physics
Mentoring team: Warren Christensen and Idris Malik

Derivatives and integrals are essential mathematical concepts within most physics courses. Even though students get familiar with performing derivatives and integrals in math classes, physics courses place additional emphasis on setting up these operations and explaining their physical significance. The emphasis when setting up integrals and derivatives in a calculus course can feel quite different when compared to physics courses. Given these contrasting experiences, what do students in physics classes think it means to “do a derivative” or “do an integral”? How would math instructors view and talk about these ideas? In this project, you will have the opportunity to analyze recordings of student interviews to see how students think about derivatives and integrals as concepts and as procedures. After identifying themes within and across interviews, you will help create and conduct interviews with faculty to see how similar or different they view calculus concepts from students in physics classes.

 The researcher on this project will:

• Read literature across the domains of mathematics and physics education research
• Analyze audio and video recordings of interviews
• Help create and conduct interviews with physics and math faculty
• Draw conclusions from qualitative data
• Share findings in a poster and presentation at the end of the program