Achieving Improved Learning Outcomes in Life Science Undergraduate Research Projects

Abstract

Undergraduate research projects are important components in Life Science undergraduate education. They help in the development of important skills, including technical, writing, presentation skills as well as skills in critical analysis. However, a number of important transferrable skills are commonly not well addressed in undergraduate research projects. These include the ability to make decisions and work independently to solve problems, the development of multi-disciplinary and interdisciplinary research skills, the ability to work as part of a team and the development of creative thinking skills. Here we describe the implementation of a self-directed research project for advanced level undergraduate students. This research project involves the isolation and testing of endophytes (symbiotic microorganisms associated with plants) for useful properties. We evaluated whether this project is suitable to address currently un-met learning objectives. Based on observations and student feedback, we found that some important transferrable skills were successfully addressed in the project. We also discuss a number of challenges to the implementation of this approach in advanced level undergraduate research projects. Overall, we conclude that the endophyte-based research project helped the students to develop important transferrable skills that are likely to be advantageous in their future professional life.