Abstract
Student research has become an important building block in undergraduate education. Undergraduate research experiences are carried out in many formats--some are embedded in courses while others stem from individual contracts between students and faculty members (Cooley, Garcia and Hughes 2008). In these activities, undergraduates' roles vary from course participants to paid research positions to volunteers (Dolan and Johnson 2009). The growing interest in undergraduate research has generated studies designed to examine the benefits undergraduates gain from their experience, including knowledge-related gains such as intellectual curiosity and content knowledge; skill-related gains such as analytical and logical thinking, synthesis of interdisciplinary knowledge, and skills in research processes; and professional advancements, such as influence on career plans and motivation (Hartmann, Widner, and Carrick 2013; Ishiyama 2002; Lopatto 2010, Madden, Ammertorp, DeNarie and Farrell 2013; Orr 2011). However, studies outlining the benefits of undergraduate research typically examine research in science; relatively few studies focus on research in humanities and education, and I have found no studies reporting on benefits of undergraduate student research into humane education.