Undergraduate Research Details
Courses that are certified for the Undergraduate Research HIP give students the opportunity to hone their scholarly research, writing, and presentation skills.
The coordinator for this HIP is Charles Wexler. For more info on UR, email him at [email protected]
TBR’s minimum definition for UR is: Undergraduate research is an inquiry or investigation conducted by an undergraduate student in collaboration with a faculty member that makes a unique intellectual, scholarly, or creative contribution to the discipline, and for which the student receives academic credit either through a course or independent study. The student's contribution may be part of a new or ongoing faculty research project (adapted from CUR).
Because we have few faculty members who are bringing their students into their own ongoing research, TBR has added the public presentation element to earning the Undergraduate Research badge. Students in courses that are certified for UR work with their instructors to ensure that their research and writing projects meet course requirements. To earn the UR badge, students must present their research at Motlow’s Undergraduate Research Symposium. Because symposiums are held in Fall and Spring, Summer courses cannot be certified for this HIP.
Depending on the framework of their courses, instructors may make symposium presentation mandatory for all students in the course or may make it voluntary for students who meet the instructors’ parameters for presentation. Instructors in courses certified for UR will serve as mentors for their presenting students as well as work with Dr. Wexler in sharing symposium information in their classes.
TBR does require some sort of reflection assignment to be completed by the students in HIPs certified courses to assess student perceptions on how the HIP enhances their learning experience. The reflection can be woven into an assignment during the semester or as part of a post-test at the end of the semester. The ARC coordinator for this HIP will reach out to faculty members gather assessment info before the course is certified again. If faculty members plan to make changes to the course, they should make the coordinators aware of this to ensure that the course still meets the HIPs minimum definition.
If you are interested in certifying your courses for the Technology Enhanced Learning HIP, submit your application through Curriculog following the guidelines found here. In your application, be sure to give a detailed explanation of how the technology you incorporate into your courses enhances the student learning experience and meets the TEL minimum definition.
Undergraduate Research Repository of Ideas:
- Historical Cultural Analysis
- Historical Movie Review
- Historical Site Analysis (traditional research)
- Historical Site Trip and Analysis (experiential learning)
- A semester-long scaffolded research project that builds argumentative and research skills
- An original history research project centered around the Tennessee Civil War Sourcebook
- A research project in which students analyze the use of mathematical concepts in the real world
- An annotated bibliography with peer review
- A review of a movie that has been adapted from a book or comic book series
- Individual or group experiments/projects that relate to the course curriculum (If it is a group project, any group members who do not present at the symposium will not earn the UR badge)