A Student-Centered Experiment to Help Undergraduates in Chemistry Learn How to Conduct Scientific Research

This study presents a student-centered, course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) on accelerating the degradation rate of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL). The program aims to help undergraduate polymer science majors and upper-level undergraduate chemistry majors transition from classroom learning to scientific research. It comprises three major sections: a brief introduction by the instructor, a planning stage in which students must independently design a feasible experimental protocol, and the execution and characterization of experiments according to approved protocols. Students must perform a series of scientific research steps including surveying the literature, designing studies, conducting experiments, executing characterization and analysis, and writing and submitting reports. Instructors function crucially in revising and approving the protocols designed by students, as well as in grading the submitted reports. This student-centered CURE emphasizes the autonomy of learners in preparing experimental protocols and maximizes the inculcation of independent scientific thinking in students. Face-to-face discussions are also essential during the protocol revision process, because they allow instructors to help students refine their protocols, develop their comprehensive thinking abilities, and cultivate their scientific reasoning. In addition to augmenting the polymer knowledge of students, CURE comprehensively improved their research abilities. Thus, this program can benefit undergraduates by bridging classroom learning and scientific research and teaching them how to conduct scientific investigations. Moreover, reported polymer-based CUREs remain scarce in the literature, and this study presents a viable implementation example.