Information on Integrating Undergraduate Research Assignments into Syllabi
January 21, 2022
From: Katherine Pence, Provost Innovation Fellow for Cross-College and Undergraduate Research, Associate Professor of History
Integrating Undergraduate Research Assignments into your Syllabi:
Your Students as Presenters or Engaged Audience Members in the International Conference of Undergraduate Research (ICUR) and the Research and Critical Inquiry Expo
Baruch Undergraduates have the opportunity to attend and present at two major events that feature research and critical inquiry presentations in all fields and disciplines: the International Conference of Undergraduate Research (ICUR) and the Research and Creative Inquiry Expo. To discuss these events and assignments for your syllabi to prepare students to participate in them, Katherine Pence, Provost Innovation Fellow for Cross-College and Undergraduate Research, hosted a faculty workshop on Zoom on January 14. The workshop featured Emma Barker, University of Warwick (UK) Institute for Advanced Teaching and Learning ICUR Coordinator, Jody Clark Vaisman, Director of the Macaulay Honors Program at Baruch, and Expo organizer, and recent Baruch alum Maheya Afnan (International Marketing major) talking about her experience presenting at ICUR. The hour-long Zoom video of this workshop has been edited into the shorter excerpts found throughout this announcement.
- See an introductory video about undergraduate research here: https://youtu.be/wyd72N0d3O0
In the fall, undergraduates can give oral presentations on panels with students around the world linked through video technology at the International Conference of Undergraduate Research (ICUR), which occurs annually at the end of September (the week of Sept. 26 in 2022).
- See a short video on ICUR here (with cameos of Baruch students): https://youtu.be/4zXDAKDEQqo
- See a description of the conference from Emma Barker here: https://youtu.be/PHq6pDcHgGc
- For a student perspective on the conference, see Baruch class of 2021 alum Maheya Afnan’s comments here : https://youtu.be/Om4VXUeJHek
- Link to the ICUR page: http://www.icurportal.com
In the spring, students can prepare poster presentations of their work for the online and in-person exhibition at Baruch, the Research and Creative Inquiry Expo, annually in May—from May 10-17 online and May 12 in person in 2022. Both these events are excellent opportunities for students to communicate their work to a diverse audience and to view models of how their peers have conducted their own research. Undergraduate research is a high impact practice that can help with student success and be an especially meaningful part of their educational experience, preparing them for future graduate study and careers.
- See a description of the Expo by Jody Vaisman here: https://youtu.be/f32pQHwkjXM
- Link to the Expo page: https://blogs.baruch.cuny.edu/creativeinquiryday/
Please consider integrating assignments into your Spring 2022 syllabi that allow students to attend these events and reflect on them analytically. If your students engage in research or critical inquiry, please integrate assignments that will prepare them to show off their achievement to the Baruch and international communities at ICUR or the Expo.
ASSIGNMENTS TO ADD TO YOUR SYLLABUS:
See a video explaining the following assignments here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnyJD2N9UeM
Low-stakes audience participation assignments: It’s important for Baruch students from their first year onward to envision possibilities for themselves to engage in research and creative inquiry. By viewing the work of peers and asking questions about it, they begin the process of thinking of themselves as potential researchers. The following are sample assignments that you can include in any of your courses that encourage your students to attend ICUR and/or the Expo, and reflect on the research presentations in some meaningful way. You can tailor these to your discipline, by asking students to find presentations from the same field, or you can encourage them to make connections across disciplines.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tqbUEYo4UsLJQSOzdk6g1teWgelXuVoXzZjc4bdamZM/edit?usp=sharing
Abstract Writing Assignment to Prepare for ICUR: If students are engaged in some form of research, a very useful way for them to communicate their argument, methodology, findings and impact is to write a 250-word abstract. The abstract necessitates efficient use of language and critical thinking about the essential elements of the project. Applicants to ICUR will turn in an abstract and receive feedback from the conference organizers about revisions, but you can prepare them to submit to the conference by requiring them to express their ideas in abstract form. Because they are so short, they are not time-consuming to edit and grade, but the process of writing the abstract can help students greatly with the organization and argument of the broader project. The following is an assignment you can adapt to your course to have students write an abstract.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WFcew3VwnhyVbuxNWUYBTMbSQ_xESH5fMP5AWwavQCY/edit?usp=sharing
They can submit their abstract to ICUR here from March 1 to early June: https://www.icurportal.com/icur-2022/
Poster Presentation Assignment for the Research and Creative Inquiry Expo: Creating a poster is a great way to communicate research or creative projects visually. Students need to think about the elements of a research project and separate those components into chunks designed in visual fields that are easily digestible for an audience. The poster allows students to share creative work with a broad audience. This exercise promotes clarity of thought and communication skills. For students in scientific fields, it is especially useful to prepare them for professional conferences, but posters are critical tools for conveying information for students in all fields, including the arts.
- The following is a sample assignment you can adapt to your classes to prepare students to present their work at the Research and Creative Inquiry Expo at Baruch on May 10-17, 2022: https://docs.google.com/document/d/18s4Q_A1bz3P1hBE8DKkYsJ5ILhE4ahyxcNyZqYFzR8o/edit?usp=sharing
- Students can submit their posters here from now until May 2: https://blogs.baruch.cuny.edu/creativeinquiryday/?page_id=26
Questions? Contact Katherine Pence at Katherine.pence@baruch.cuny.edu
Thank you!
Katherine Pence
Associate Professor of History
Director of Women’s and Gender Studies
History Department
Baruch College, B5/200
1 Bernard Baruch Way
New York, NY 10010
646-312-4332
History office: 646-312-4310
Fax: 646-312-4311
Katherine.Pence@baruch.cuny.edu