Office of Undergraduate Research

Course Development for Research-Intensive Courses

The Office of Undergraduate Research supports faculty in developing and assessing research-intensive courses. In addition to the office's Research Course Development Grant Program (see below), we also work with individuals and departments to identify and strengthen the research-related learning outcomes of particular classes and degree programs.

Research-Related Learning Outcomes

Research-related learning outcomes can fall into a number of different categories. Below are some examples of research-related learning outcomes from a variety of disciplines, programs, and courses. Note that some learning outcomes are stated in very general terms, while others are more specific to a particular discipline or course content.

Argumentation

Upon completing this course/program, students will be able to:

Cite primary literature to support or refute an argument
Identify and gather information from credible primary and secondary sources
Describe key examples of the archaeological data relevant to the biblical literature of the Greco-Roman period
Analyze the biblical literature and manuscript history of the Greco-Roman period (333BCE – 350 CE) with reference to the contemporaneous historical, political, social and cultural context.

Methods and Design

Upon completing this course/program, students will be able to:

Design an experiment that tests a valid hypothesis
Recognize and understand the diverse vocabulary of literary and cultural theory
Recognize assumptions and devise basic research designs, test questions, arguments, and hypotheses with qualitative and/or quantitative methods

Measurement, Statistics, and Equipment

Upon completing this course/program, students will be able to:

Interpret basic statistical analyses

Writing and Communicating Research

Upon completing this course/program, students will be able to:

Write a scientific paper that evaluates data and constructs a cogent argument
Correctly cite literature in APA format

Research Course Development Grant Program

Through the Research Course Development Grant Program, up to 10 stipends are available to faculty who want improve their research-intensive classes. Faculty work with the Director of Undergraduate Research to re-structure a course syllabus in order to strengthen and highlight the research aspects of the course content. Applications to the program are solicited each Fall.