SUPER event – This is the highlight of my semester so far. Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Hassanein Amer,
ECNG faculty member
Hassanein Amer
(Electronics Engineering)
Ramy Aly (SEA)
Abeer Shennawy (Econ)
Mike Gibson (Rhetoric)
Amani El Shimi led a lively panel discussion founded on the value of undergraduate research for the principal stakeholders in higher education: the students, the faculty, and the university. Using the definition adopted by the Council for Undergraduate Research "An inquiry or investigation conducted by an undergraduate student that makes an original intellectual or creative contribution to a discipline" as a basis for the conversation, panelists agreed that the curriculum needed to evolve in order to integrate research beyond ‘one-off’ skill building research initiatives like freshman, capstones or course-level projects. In order to be meaningful and make the highest possible impact, research had to be a pedagogical imperative embedded within the curriculum from beginning to end. As Hassanein Amer said, “If you are a top university, you must give them (students) the ability to be creative from the beginning, not just as seniors, but from the very beginning...”. The idea of the AUC scholarly community coming together to create a holistic, “Mega-vision” of what undergraduate research at the institution might look like resonated with the audience.
Panelists had varied perspectives on integrating research based on their own experiences; from the course to curriculum level. The need for a top-to-bottom institutional commitment was seen as critical to the success of undergraduate research as part of the curriculum. Opportunities to use research skills they learn in their course work as well as in “real life”, the opportunity to synthesize knowledge, and be both creative investigators and problem solvers were discussed, as well as the need to provide a scaffolded approach. Undergraduate research occurs along a continuum from faculty led to students working independently. These different models for involving undergraduates in research are all necessary because students need to learn the different approaches. Guiding students in research that is appropriate to their existing knowledge base and helping them push past their current limits were presented as keys to making research an effective learning tool for undergraduate students.
Hassanein Amer
(Electronics Engineering)
Ramy Aly (SEA)
Abeer Shennawy (Econ)
Mike Gibson (Rhetoric)
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