JOURNAL OF GEOSCIENCE EDUCATION 61, 415–427 (2013) Implementation and Assessment of Undergraduate Experiences in SOAP: An Atmospheric Science Research and Education Program Larry J. Hopper, Jr.,1,2,a Courtney Schumacher,2 and Justin P. Stachnik2,3 ABSTRACT The Student Operational Aggie Doppler Radar Project (SOAP) involved 95 undergraduates in a research and education program to better understand the climatology of storms in southeast Texas from 2006–2010. This paper describes the structure, components, and implementation of the 1-credit-hour research course, comparing first-year participants’ experiences and career outcomes with students who were engaged in SOAP for multiple years. Groups of five or six students, led by a senior-level undergraduate and mentored by a graduate student and faculty advisor, performed several daily research tasks, including producing precipitation forecasts, archiving observations, and operating and analyzing data from an S-band Doppler radar for precipitation events on their assigned day. Anonymous surveys given to SOAP students at the end of each semester indicated that student confidence in performing most SOAP tasks exhibited statistically significant positive correlations with their interest and experience in doing them. In addition, students participating in SOAP for multiple years were significantly more confident in performing program tasks than single-year participants (with correlations increasing an average of 19%) and were more likely to obtain meteorology or science-related employment upon graduation (94% versus 69%). First-year participants were significantly more likely to indicate that their interactions with undergraduate student leaders or peers were most beneficial, whereas interactions with the faculty advisor or graduate student mentors were equally or more important to returning students. Students were also more likely to consider research careers and matriculate to graduate programs as they participated longer in SOAP, suggesting research and education programs have a strong influence on students’ career outcomes in addition to fostering positive self-efficacy. Ó 2013 National Association of Geoscience Teachers. [DOI: 10.5408/12-382.1] Key words: undergraduate research, meteorology, confidence, career outcomes, peer mentoring INTRODUCTION school (e.g., Lopatto, 2004; Seymour et al., 2004; Gonzales- Engaging undergraduates in research and educational Espada and LaDue, 2006; Hunter et al., 2007; Russell et al., field-based experiences in atmospheric science allows 2007). Involving undergraduates in research experiences also students to observe and analyze the environment outside increases the students’ confidence in their scientific abilities, the traditional classroom. These opportunities allow stu- including perceived improvements in oral and written dents to apply their existing knowledge while introducing communication skills, computer and technical skills, and them to higher-level concepts traditionally learned in more understanding of research processes (Kardash, 2000; Bauer advanced courses. Undergraduate research has been regard- and Bennett, 2003; Lopatto, 2004; Seymour et al., 2004). ed as an increasingly critical component of science education In addition to authentic research experiences, many for several decades (Halstead, 1997; Hensel, 2012) that undergraduates participate in field-based educational expe- develops students personally and professionally and trans- riences, ranging from field campaigns to single courses forms faculty into ‘‘teaching scholars’’ (Lopatto, 2009). More involving larger numbers of students, that provide them with than half (53%) of all science, technology, engineering, and a better understanding of scientific careers, principles, and mathematics (STEM) undergraduates participate in inde- processes. The Rain in Cumulus over the Ocean (RICO) field pendent or mentored research activities (Russell, 2006). campaign in 2005 involved undergraduates with graduate Studies consistently show that students clarify and confirm students from several institutions in a variety of educational or modify their career goals after participating in authentic activities, ranging from seminars and training sessions to undergraduate research experiences (i.e., where students hands-on experience with instrumentation, culminating work on scientific research with practicing scientists), with a student-led scientific mission involving the use of particularly with respect to their desire to attend graduate research aircraft (Rauber et al., 2007). On a smaller scale, university courses have been documented in the geosciences that involve 1–3 weeks of intensive field experiences that Received 13 November 2012; revised 18 June 2013; accepted 12 July 2013; published online 22 November 2013. often require significant travel with pre- and post-trip assignments (e.g., Aitchison and Ali, 2007; Lathrop and 1Department of Atmospheric Science, School of Sciences, University of Louisiana at Monroe, 700 University Avenue, Monroe, Louisiana 71209, Ebbett, 2006). Analogous courses in atmospheric science are USA beginning to exist, such as those that couple forecasting and 2Department of Atmospheric Sciences, MS 3150, Texas A&M University, storm chasing experiences with professional development College Station, Texas 77843-3150, USA activities (Godfrey et al., 2011). Local fieldwork experiences 3 Joint Institute for Regional Earth System Science and Engineering, involving greater numbers of students have also been University of California, Los Angeles, 607 Charles E. Young Drive East, Young Hall Room 4242, Los Angeles, California, 90095-7228, USA incorporated into introductory and upper-level geosciences aAuthor to whom correspondence should be addressed. Electronic mail: courses at several universities (e.g., Comrie, 2000; Knapp et [email protected]. Tel.: 318-342-3428. Fax: 318-342-1879 al., 2006; Elkins and Elkins, 2007; Morss and Zhang, 2008), 1089-9995/2013/61(4)/415/13 415 Q Nat. Assoc. Geosci. Teachers 416 Hopper et al. J. Geosci. Educ. 61, 415–427 (2013) TABLE I: Number of weeks (out of 11) during which students interacted with the faculty advisor or one of the graduate student mentors during SOAP. Interactions With Faculty Advisor or Graduate Student Mentors 2007 (n = 26) 2008 (n = 29) 2009 (n = 29) 2010 (n = 30) 8+ interactions 15% 62% 55% 67% 5–7 interactions 46% 21% 28% 27% 2–4 interactions 35% 17% 14% 6% 0–1 interaction 4% — 3% — including a two-semester sequence in atmospheric science because it integrates research and education through data in which upper-division undergraduate and graduate stu- collection and analysis with peer interactions and leadership dents collected mobile radar data during fall semesters, with involving many undergraduates instead of mentoring analysis occurring the following spring (Richardson et al., students through individual research projects. Therefore, 2008). All of these projects integrate research and education this article investigates students’ experiences and impacts by incorporating a period of data collection and subsequent from participating in SOAP by answering the following analysis activities that expose students to inquiry-based questions: learning and critical thinking. This article evaluates undergraduate experiences and How is SOAP structured and how may similar impacts from participating in the Student Operational Aggie programs be implemented elsewhere? Do multiyear SOAP participants exhibit statistically Doppler Radar Project (SOAP), an atmospheric science significant differences from single-year participants in research and education program at Texas A&M University their confidence in performing SOAP tasks or career (TAMU) that established a long-term storm climatology for outcomes? southeast Texas while providing 95 students with applied Which types of program interactions did students find experience. SOAP includes local fieldwork with authentic most beneficial? research tasks of collecting and analyzing data from the Aggie Doppler Radar (ADRAD) and supporting instruments as part of a research course offered each spring semester SOAP PROGRAM DESCRIPTION AND from 2006 to 2010. SOAP satisfies all seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education outlined by IMPLEMENTATION Course Structure Chickering and Gamson (1999) by encouraging undergrad- SOAP involved 25–30 undergraduates at TAMU each uate student interaction with faculty and graduate students, spring semester between 2006 and 2010, providing 95 cooperation among students, and active learning while unique students with forecasting and research practice. providing prompt feedback, emphasizing time on task, Students earned 1 research credit hour graded on a pass/fail communicating high expectations, and respecting diverse basis by the faculty advisor, who was the principal learning styles. However, SOAP is unique in that advanced investigator of the supporting National Science Foundation undergraduate students led their peers (ranging from (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) grant freshmen to seniors) in performing daily operational and and the second author of this paper (the first and third research tasks, relying upon the faculty advisor and graduate authors were graduate student mentors during all 5 y and student mentors for training materials, complicated logistics, the last 3 y of SOAP, respectively). Participants gained and overall guidance. In addition to freeing time for faculty, forecasting and research practice by predicting, observing, peer-to-peer mentoring