The 4DEE framework (skills, knowledge, character, meta-learning) emphasizes adaptable curriculum design that facilitates deep learning through authentic educational experiences. Here we outline a case study of the design and implementation of a course on endangered canid species that aligns with the 4DEE framework and addresses the cross-cutting themes of environmental literacy and systems thinking, the educational and research outcomes, and student self-assessment of learning gains. The course took the form of a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) integrated within an ongoing research program at a large public university in the Midwest. Twenty-one undergraduates participated in fall 2016 and 28 in fall 2017. Conceptual modeling underpinned the learning experience and helped students structure and refine conceptions about the ecological system. Students engaged in authentic scientific and epistemic practices by reading primary literature, collecting and analyzing their data, engaging in lectures with experts, refining their models, and presenting their findings. Students planned their own research by developing hypotheses and implemented their own data collection protocol for camera trapping across landscape gradients. The four dimensions of the framework were intertwined in the course design as students learned ecological content.
Results/Conclusions
In the student self-assessment of learning gains, most students reported gains in scientific skills (analyzing data, problem-solving, using a model to develop a hypothesis, formulating research questions), confidence in their ability to contribute to science and do well in science, and work collaboratively with others. In reflections on how their experience helped clarify their professional intentions, many reported being more likely to enroll in a graduate program and seek employment related to science. Also interesting was that all students reported being more likely to talk with friends, family, or the public about wildlife conservation issues, indicating that similar courses may have effects beyond the classroom, empowering students to be advocates and translators of science. Students showed positive outcomes in meeting many of the 21st century educational goals of 4DEE. Through our case study we show how a 4DEE CURE course can effectively translate into a method of addressing the lack of authenticity in scientific practices and ways of thinking that are too often systemic in traditional courses.