Virtual Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Translation of research to practice is essential for competent practitioners but requires skills and experience in reading and understanding research. Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) may be a means of developing research skills for all students in a course. For successful CUREs, faculty evaluate students’ research skill development and decide on a project that appropriately promotes student learning. In this case, we chose an open-ended project. We then evaluated the experiences of music students (music therapy, music performance, and music digital media) as they participated in a virtual CURE during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results of a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design with two surveys and open-ended responses of the whole group (n = 22) and a focus group with a volunteer subsample of students (n = 7) indicated important gains in understanding research articles, writing a scholarly paper, understanding the relevance of research to their coursework, and developing communication and teamwork skills. Student suggestions for improvement included clarification of the expectations and timelines, particularly in a virtual setting, and better distribution of effort during the semester. Overall, a virtual CURE may support student research skill development and help them become more effective research consumers.