Research-enhanced vs. traditional courses: A comparison

CHED 1830

William S. Harwood, harwoodw@uni.edu, Department of Chemistry, University of Northern Iowa, 1227 W. 27th St, Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0423
There is recent and increasing interest in modifying traditional courses to infuse research or research-like experiences into them with the goal of being more efficient in developing students' expertise. This presentation examines the perceptions of students who participated in such a course at a large Midwestern University during their freshman year. Student perceptions of their traditional courses and the impact of their modified first year course are examined over several years. A rough accounting of the benefits and debits from participation in a research-focused first year course is discussed.