Course-Based Research: A Social Justice Initiative

Two-year colleges in the United States are leading the way in ensuring all students have access to undergraduate research. They are finding ways to integrate authentic and accessible research into the curriculum by identifying research possibilities in their communities, including environmental issues like safe water, archival research at local historical societies, and collaborations with local business and social service agencies. As a result, students learn how to ask questions, identify problems, use evidence to seek solutions, and develop oral and written communication skills through course-based research. The presenter discusses how embedding research experiences into the curriculum, particularly in first- and second-year courses, opens up undergraduate research for all students and has the potential to ameliorate some education inequities.