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The Division of Science and Technology (DST) Environmental Science Programme (ENVS) Conservation Ecology class held a poster presentation on 15 May. The posters will continue to be on display until 21 May were staff and students can see the research projects of the Year 2 students from their BIOL 2023 Conservation Ecology class, taught by DST Associate Professor and Coordinator of WPEO-EDC, Dr Siu-Tai Tsim.

Dr Tsim and students listen to each group's presentation

C.U.R.E stands for Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences and it applies to science subjects in undergraduate universities and colleges. This programme has been promoted at various universities across the US.

The aims of C.U.R.E are to improve the enrolment of science courses, help students develop their scientific thinking, increase their ability to interpret data, and allow them to become active learners.

The first group is ready to start off the morning of presentations

The audience moves from poster to poster

Dr Tsim introduced the C.U.R.E programme after returning from sabbatical leave. He spent his sabbatical leave at Trinity University (Department of Biology) in Texas in the US, where he participated in the Ecology class that also incorporated C.U.R.E.

“I found the students were enjoying the class very much. Hence, I have tried to integrate the concept of C.U.R.E into my Conservation Ecology in UIC this semester,” said Dr Tsim.

Dr Tsim explaining the grading rubric for the presentations

The student groups presented their posters to Dr Tsim and fellow classmates, explaining the scientific observations, analyses, and results of their research.

When reflecting on his students’ progress, Dr Tsim said he has seen improvement in areas such as professionalism, identifying problems and creating solutions, and overall gaining experience in scientific research.

Even after the presentations, students continue to discuss their research with each other