Student’s perspective on ‘authentic’ undergraduate research experiences (5/6)

Participating in Undergraduate Research Experiences (URE) provides valuable benefits for STEM students, enhancing their understanding of the research process, improving technical skills, and better informed career decisions. Typically occurring towards the end of undergraduate programs, mentor-based UREs led by PhD mentors can be demanding and not always feasible. Course-Based Research Experiences (CUREs) offer a promising alternative, integrated within courses and emphasizing collaboration, discovery, relevance, iteration, and scientific practices to cultivate an 'authentic' research experience. The Laboratory Course Assessment Survey (LCAS) was developed to measure students' perceptions of collaboration, discovery, relevance, and iteration, yet research yields conflicting findings on significant differences between students’ perceptions between CURE and traditional courses. This might suggest that other factors influence students' perspectives on authentic research experiences. This comparative analysis aims to identify additional factors shaping students' perceptions, hypothesizing that the potential for failure significantly impacts overall authenticity perception. The research design and methodology details are presented in this poster.