Undergrad Research Experience Enhanced by Community Engaged Learning Summer Biology Program
A current failing of scientists, according to Assistant Biology Professor Dr. Allyson O’Donnell, is the inability to convey the importance of scientific work to the public in a relatable way.
As part of the University’s annual Undergraduate Research Program, the Connecting Interdisciplinary undergraduate Research with Community-engaged Learning Experiences (CIRCLE) program at Duquesne works to erode misconceptions about scientific research and train the next generation of scientists to engage the public in their research through community engaged learning.
O’Donnell co-directs the CIRCLE program with Associate Biology Professor Dr. Sarah Woodley each summer. Held from May 22 through July 28, this year’s program included paid, hands-on lab experience for seven local high school students who were mentored one-on-one by undergraduate biology students from Duquesne. In addition, undergraduate students from the University created peer-reviewed lesson plans for visits to the Center of Life organization in Hazelwood, where they conducted dissections and activities with local middle school students.
“There are a lot of great jobs in science, and the undergraduate mentors helped the students understand what a scientist does,” Woodley explained. “There is a need to engage young people, especially in communities that are underrepresented in science.”
For the undergraduate biology students, the CIRCLE program gave them the opportunity to improve their mentoring and outreach skills, training them to communicate with non-scientists in order to improve science literacy in the community and to enhance their own learning experiences.
“It’s really important for scientists to learn how to communicate with the general public to help people realize that our research is important and not scary,” O’Donnell said. “We are helping to train our students to be advocates for science.”
Through use of a retrospective post-test, O’Donnell and Woodley were able to see how effective the one-on-one mentorship was in enhancing the learning experience for undergraduate students. The pair found that the Duquesne students were more receptive to the idea of community-engaged learning; felt that it increased their knowledge of scientific concepts and boosted their confidence; and thought the experiences would help them to achieve their career goals.
“In teaching a non-expert, our undergraduate students find gaps in their own knowledge,” Woodley explained. “They can then learn to understand scientific concepts on a deeper level.”
Funding for the CIRCLE program was provided by an American Society for Cell Biology COMPASS Grant, The Pittsburgh Foundation and the Duquesne University Center for Community Engaged Teaching and Research. Community partners include the Center of Life, and Pittsburgh Public Schools’ Taylor Allderdice High School, and Science and Technology Academy.
