The University of Chicago offers students the opportunity to engage in research-based courses that challenge them to explore big questions. These courses are designed to encourage curiosity and involve students in hands-on learning experiences with guidance from leading researchers.
In Prof. Mark Westneat's course, "Biomechanics: How Life Works," students investigate how various creatures interact with the forces of the world. The course involves lectures and lab sessions where students learn techniques such as measuring force with a tensometer and using high-speed cameras. According to Westneat, “It is all original research,” and some students have even published papers based on their projects.
Charlotte Wallsten, a student in the class, described early lab sessions as collaborative and creative experiences. She explored butterfly wing flexibility for her project, which complemented her thesis work on butterfly color perception. Luke Friedman focused his project on testing bird feather strength, drawing parallels with his thesis on fish pectoral fins.
Westneat emphasizes the importance of independent research in his course, stating that “Working in the lab is when they flourish.” Students conclude the course by presenting their findings through final papers and research talks.
Meanwhile, Prof. Andy Eggers' "Social Science Inquiry" course takes a different approach by having students work together on a single research question related to public opinion about ranked-choice voting. Eggers explains that he reads student proposals to incorporate diverse ideas into a manageable project.
Irmak Altinok highlighted class discussions that led to developing a comprehension survey on ranked-choice voting. Andrew Arzac worked on survey design and found similarities between research fundamentals across disciplines.
Eggers aims for each student to contribute new knowledge through their work, stating, “At the end of the course, they will have learned something that the world doesn’t know about yet—and they will write about it.”
These courses exemplify UChicago's commitment to providing transformative classroom experiences through interdisciplinary discovery and innovative teaching methods.