Research-Infused Courses are Effective for Online and In-Person Education.

Area of Science:

• Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education
• Curriculum Development
• Undergraduate Research

Background:

• Engaging students in research is a high-impact practice that improves persistence and graduation rates, especially for underrepresented students in STEM.
• Research infusion into curricula can be achieved through course redesign or supplementary modules.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present data on a program designed to implement research-infused curricula across various STEM disciplines.
• To assess the impact of redesigned courses on students' perceptions of research skills and understanding.

Main Methods:

• The Research Across the Curriculum program involved faculty redesigning 14 courses to exemplify discipline-specific research practices.
• Redesigned components were implemented as interactive activities for both in-person and online learning.

Main Results:

• Redesigned courses significantly impacted students' perceptions of gains in research skills.
• Students reported moderate to good gains in understanding research relevance, problem-solving, interpreting research papers, and results.
• Course modality (online vs. face-to-face) had minimal impact on student outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Intentionally embedding research-focused activities in STEM courses strengthens students' research foundations.
• Research-infused curricula should be encouraged as a high-impact practice to enhance STEM education and student success.