KCC FIG – Undergraduate Research as a High Impact Practice

Minutes of the Meeting of Fri, 11/20/2020, 11:30am via Zoom

Present:  Grace Axler-DiPerte (BIO), Christina Colon (BIO), Mary Ortiz (BIO), Kristin Polizzotto (BIO)

Meeting began at 11:30am.

1. Mary welcomed everyone and thanked them for coming.
2. Mary shared plans for using BOP (Billion Oyster Project) data for a class computer research lab project in BIO91 (Biostatistics) in Spring 2021.  Discussion occurred on the logistics of doing this.
3. Christina mentioned BIO53 using new/previous iNaturalist seasonal/gender data with her class.
4. Grace mentioned possibly using iNaturalist Fungi in the neighborhood data in BIO50 (General Microbiology) Spring 2021.
5. Kristin shared Rem net publication (http://www.pathomap.org).  She also shared the following website: https://qubeshub.org/publications/1300/1
6. There was discussion about the Urban Microbiome Project, and possibly getting involved with it.  The website for info is: https://www.smartcitiesdive.com//ex/sustainablecitiescollective/invisible-city-life-urban-microbiome/1023706/#:~:text=A%20project%20called%20PathoMap%20is,microbiome%20at%20the%20city%20level.
7. Next Gen Data was also discussed.
8. Kristin shared a document she had shared at a previous STEM FIG meeting with websites containing data that can be used for research/analysis. We discussed GBIF and others.
9. Mary demoed www.socscistatistics.com . We discussed the necessity for statistics, and possibly a joint project between BIO91 and BIO53 in the Spring 2021 semester.
10. We discussed spring projects, setting up questions for students to investigate, and having students coming up with questions and developing hypotheses.  Christina shared that she has students in BIO53 begin this in week 1.  The students test hypotheses every week in BIO53.  Kristin shared that in BIO52 (Marine Biology), from week 1, students are required to submit a piece each week in a structured project that completes by the end of the semester.  Kristin and Christina will send us documents with the scaffolding for doing this.
11. Christina has the BIO53 students work with a peer reviewed journal article each week.  They start with identifying the title, authors, etc.  Then they underline methodology in the abstract, and so on.  She has them pick a species and use Google Scholar to pick and article about that species.  The students post summary key finds.  Each student has a different individual species name to study.  They pick a species, look it up, and bring an article.  In BIO14 they pick a fungus and by the end of the semester they have reviewed about 10 journal articles, and have either written a term paper, made a poster or narrated a PowerPoint presentation.
12. We discussed starting with the goals (ex. To learn to understand primary literature.), then framing the scaffolding (Find a living biologist from an underrepresented group, then find a primary literature article by them, then find four references, etc.)  Each semester scaffolding can be different with a different goal.  This is backwards design.  Kristin shared she had a project for lab in BIO52 over the summer because we were remote.
13. Christina mentioned ethogram lab and using 12-minute horse videos for students to analyze.
14. Mary mentioned that several aquariums provide links to view their fish tanks online.  Students can observe the fish and other organisms and study their behavior or investigate if the tank is a correct environment for the organisms in it.
15. Christina has her students design an exhibit for an animal species in a zoo.
16. Christina has PPTs with screen shots from iNaturalist.
17. Mary will send out the end of semester survey for this FIG.  Please complete and return to Mary.
18. Next meeting: Spring 2021.  We will continue discussion/bring new ideas.

Meeting adjourned at 12:20pm.

Minutes respectfully submitted by Mary Theresa Ortiz