Science across generations: establishing best practices for intergenerational learning in course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs)

Science communication is a powerful tool for disseminating scientific concepts to both STEM and non-STEM audiences. However, undergraduate students are rarely presented with opportunities to practice this skill with non-STEM audiences in their STEM courses. Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) allow students to engage in authentic research projects in the context of a structured course. CURE courses have been shown to increase numerous psychosocial benchmarks, including science identity and science self-efficacy. We describe the integration of intergenerational partnerships, in which undergraduate students enrolled in CURE courses were paired with older adult community members. We studied these partnerships within three different CUREs. Undergraduate students discussed their CURE research project and formed relationships with older adults from the community during biweekly meetings. As the semester progressed, undergraduate students self-reported gains in their ability to communicate science information to older adults and to the broader community, their understanding of their CURE research projects, and their science identity. Additionally, both science identity and science self-efficacy increased, while science value orientation had a negligible decrease. Here, we provide evidence that incorporating older adult community members can be easily adapted to other STEM classrooms or laboratory courses, providing a meaningful platform for undergraduate students to practice science communication.