title: The python project: a unique model for extending research opportunities to undergraduate students.
abstract: Undergraduate science education curricula are traditionally composed of didactic instruction with a small number of laboratory courses that provide introductory training in research techniques. Research on learning methodologies suggests this model is relatively ineffective, whereas participation in independent research projects promotes enhanced knowledge acquisition and improves retention of students in science. However, availability of faculty mentors and limited departmental budgets prevent the majority of students from participating in research. A need therefore exists for this important component in undergraduate education in both small and large university settings. A course was designed to provide students with the opportunity to engage in a research project in a classroom setting. Importantly, the course collaborates with a sponsor's laboratory, producing a symbiotic relationship between the classroom and the laboratory and an evolving course curriculum. Students conduct a novel gene expression study, with their collective data being relevant to the ongoing research project in the sponsor's lab. The success of this course was assessed based on the quality of the data produced by the students, student perception data, student learning gains, and on whether the course promoted interest in and preparation for careers in science. In this paper, we describe the strategies and outcomes of this course, which represents a model for efficiently providing research opportunities to undergraduates.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309.
authors.forename: Pamela A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.affiliation: *Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309 Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0685.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wall
authors.affiliation: *Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309 Biology Department, Seattle University, Seattle, WA 98122-1090.
authors.forename: Stephen W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Luckey
authors.affiliation: *Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Langer
authors.affiliation: *Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309 leslie.leinwand@colorado.edu.
authors.forename: Leslie A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Leinwand
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017821:Boidae; D002645:Chickens; D003479:Curriculum; D004521:Educational Measurement; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods*; D008116:Lizards; D008967:Molecular Biology / Q000639:trends; D016730:Program Development; D012106:Research / Q000193:education*; D012586:Science / Q000193:education*; D014495:Universities