Fostering open science literacy through an asynchronous CURE: challenges and strategies of a fully online student research experience

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) have rapidly become essential components in STEM education. However, there is limited guidance for implementing these classes in fully asynchronous online formats. We discuss the design and implementation of our 15-week asynchronous online CURE focused on open science literacy and bioinformatics. Twenty to thirty first-year undergraduate students per semester conducted a collaborative research project evaluating the long-term availability of biological databases, contributing to a publicly accessible dataset released online and built upon every year. We focus on introducing scientific methodology and encouraging critical thinking over teaching technical skills, exposing students to contemporary scientific controversies including research misconduct, reproducibility challenges, and open science practices. We found that our key strategies for successful asynchronous implementation included: (1) front-loaded course development with comprehensive video tutorials and detailed protocols; (2) flexible assignment deadlines emphasizing collaborative responsibility rather than rigid enforcement; and (3) multiple feedback touchpoints through anonymous questionnaires and continuous communication channels. We believe that CURE experiences can be successfully adapted to distributed learning environments while maintaining student engagement, fostering scientific literacy, and accommodating diverse student schedules and commitments.