MaRBLe Undergraduate Research

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UCM PEERS is a semester long research program carrying 10 ECTS. The level of the project depends on the subject matter and the required academic background of the participating students, and can be either 200 or 300 level. Successful PEERS participants may be allowed to continue their research for more than one semester.
PEERS replaces the two Skills and one Project offered during a semester. In most PEERS projects, the first two course periods will be mainly dedicated to an introduction into the specific field and related methodologies, and a research plan or proposal will be written. During the second and third periods the students will engage in their own research, while staying in touch with the other members of their group to discuss progress and challenges. At the end of each semester UCM will organize a symposium during which all participating students will present their research to their fellow researchers and the larger UCM community.
Description of the project
PEERS is a form of RBL, Research-Based Learning. In RBL, learning is based on research that students do themselves, rather than being dependent on research done before and by others. Small groups of students will conduct research under the guidance of a senior researcher. They will act as a group, but engage in individual work as well: PEERS offers a unique opportunity to develop one’s own research topic within the context of a pre-defined research program. In this way, student researchers will make an actual contribution to ongoing research, and will experience first-hand what is involved in doing research. During the project, specific skills will be addressed at the appropriate time: e.g. problem analysis, writing a proposal, data selection and analysis reporting and presenting.