179 Responsible Conduct of Research for Undergraduates

Abstract

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: In spite of significant growth in undergraduate research, there is little accessible RCR training material targeting this group. The goal of this project was to develop level appropriate RCR materials and test them for effectiveness of teaching basic knowledge of RCR. It was developed cognizant of the type of learning preferred by this group. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Todays undergraduate students are digital natives accustomed to using on-line resources for learning and value the ability to work independently. An asynchronous, online series of eight RCR modules were developed using PowerPoint. Audio instruction was overlaid over the presentations and uploaded to YouTube. Each module includes quiz at the end that must be completed with a 90% score in order to continue and students can retake each quiz until correct. Case studies, a plagiarism game, and additional resources such as infographics created by the Office of Research Integrity were included. 275 first year undergraduates completed the pilot and the on-line retrospective pre-post assessment that included 28 Likert scale items and two open-ended questions that were analyzed with RapidMiner. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Participants rated their ability prior to and after the course to recognize the roles/responsibilities of a mentor, maintain and organize data records, recognize what constitutes research misconduct and multiple types of plagiarism, define ethics of authorship and the types of peer review, recognize responsible handling of human and animal subjects and to define collaborative research. Responses were analyzed using t-Tests and all items showed a significant increase. Students reported between a 28% and 50% increase in knowledge in each topic and gains in understanding where to report RCR violations. Text analysis using RapidMiner provided developers with suggestions on how to enhance the project. Students reported finding the course concise and easy to understand and valued the included case studies. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: This study demonstrated that RCR materials developed specifically for todays undergraduate students, presented an easily accessible format, effectively conveys the basics of RCR. The on-line, asynchronous format made it accessible to those for whom in person course is not possible. This model fills the gap in RCR training for early researchers.