Definitions of Applied Learning Experiences
Wichita State University adheres to the following common guide to applied learning terms, in conjunction with the Applied Learning Steering Committee’s definitions.
Applied Learning
Applied learning at Wichita State is the application of learning to authentic situations. Applied learning occurs when students develop knowledge, skills, and values from personal direct experiences that go beyond the traditional lecture or lab. This synergistic relationship between classroom and applied learning experiences fosters critical thinking, reflective practices, and supports deep understanding of new knowledge, all while providing students with a heightened learning experience to support career readiness.
While applied learning opportunities may look different from one another, each share the following 3 components:
- Defined purpose: Each applied learning engagement must have a defined approach and clear purpose. Beginning each engagement with intentionality and clear expectations between student and mentor/advisor maximizes the benefits, skills, and knowledge that will be gained for the student and establishes the solid foundation needed for success for all involved parties.
- Development of skills and competencies: Each opportunity must focus on the participant developing skills, knowledge, and/or competencies that can be applied in authentic, professional/practical settings. Applied learning engagements are frequently dynamic with changes made as the process unfolds. To facilitate continuous engagement, reflection and learning, the student engages in dialogue regarding outcomes, expectations, and opportunities to strengthen the experience.
- Assessment of outcomes and reporting: The assessment of an applied learning experience should be focused on specific, measurable learning outcomes. Learning outcomes should be recorded in a manner that is easily understood and able to be reported. Students should also be provided with opportunities for reflection and self-assessment during the process to ensure they draw connections between the skills/knowledge from applied learning, their experience in the classroom, and situations they will encounter outside the classroom.
Civic Engagement
Courses and programs at Wichita State emphasize civic education and activities for the greater good, with reflection and engagement as integral components.
Clinical Placement
Clinical placements involve students rotating through various healthcare agencies, supervised by faculty, to gain comprehensive insights into healthcare processes and patient care across diverse settings and age groups. This experience emphasizes mastering theoretical concepts, enhancing skill proficiency, and developing clinical reasoning skills with a focus on evidence-based practice.
Source InformationCommunity Service
Wichita State encourages volunteerism and community service performed by students for the benefit of the community, which may or may not be integrated into specific study programs.
Cooperative Education
Cooperative education is an academic program for undergraduate and graduate students who wish to combine classroom studies with academically related paid employment. Cooperative education provides students work-based learning opportunities both locally and nationally.
By using off-campus resources and expertise, cooperative education provides opportunities for students in business, government, industry and social agencies. Programs are designed to enable students to work directly with professionals in their field while expanding upon the knowledge learned in the classroom.
Students hired in cooperative education positions must enroll in specially designated co-op courses and work with a faculty advisor from within the appropriate department. Each position is assessed by a faculty advisor for its potential to provide learning experiences relevant to the student’s professional and educational goals.
Cooperative education offers both alternating and parallel positions. Students who select the alternating option must complete a semester of full-time enrollment in coursework before entering a second alternating position. Alternating positions carry the status of full-time students.
Students selecting the parallel option are required to carry a minimum of 6 credit hours of coursework in addition to their co-op course. Students may enroll in parallel co-op positions during consecutive semesters.
Requirements for co-op participation vary within the different colleges and departments. Requirements for admission to the co-op program generally include completion of 24 credit hours, with 9 of these credit hours completed in the student’s major, and satisfactory academic standing. Interested students should come to the Shocker Career Accelerator, located in John Bardo Center, Suite 162 or call 316-978-3688.
Source InformationCreative Works
Creative works, including capstone projects and performances, serve as culminating experiences for students in accredited programs.
Field Study
Wichita State offers field studies as an opportunity for data collection outside of traditional settings, often in natural environments and tailored to different disciplines.
International and Domestic Travel/Exchange
Wichita State offers instructional programs delivered both overseas and domestically, enhancing the learning experience through unique locations, cultural features, and subject matter approaches. Exchanges often involve individual students traveling independently to pre-approved locations, collaborating with faculty from both home and host institutions to determine their course of study.
Internships
Wichita State University’s location in Wichita has allowed it to form strong relationships with public, private, and nonprofit organizations that offer a variety of internship opportunities. These positions are an invaluable way for WSU students to gain professional experience to complement the strong academic fundamentals they learn in the classroom. Through the Shocker Career Accelerator students have an opportunity to earn academic credit for an internship, or enroll in zero credit and have an internship recognized on their academic transcript.
Students who choose academic credit, enroll in designated internship courses and work with a faculty advisor from an appropriate department. Academic credit is earned after completing all project requirements assigned by the advisor. Students who enroll in zero credit internships have their internship recognized on their official academic transcript through a transcript notation (no tuition is paid). A transcript notation is earned after completing the zero credit program requirements. Additional information may be found on the Cooperative Education and Internship webpage.1 Not all departments participate in zero credit internships and not all students are eligible to enroll in zero credit.
Requirements for internships vary within different colleges and departments and for various employers. The requirements for participation in an academic or zero credit internship include completion of 24 credit hours, with 9 of these credit hours completed in the student’s major, and satisfactory academic standing. Students enrolled in academic or zero credit internships in the fall and spring are required to carry a minimum of 6 credit hours of coursework in addition to their internship course.
Interested students should come to the Shocker Career Accelerator, John Bardo Center, Suite 162 or call= 316-978-3688.
Practicum
Practicums are field experiences that allow you to observe and document how working professionals perform their job responsibilities.
Limited participation in performing tasks under supervision by program professors and/or on-site staff.
The expectations associated with a practicum vary according to the career. For example, a practicum in teaching may require assisting the teacher with implementing small group instruction, whereas a practicum in nursing may entail recording vital signs for one or two patients under supervision.
General characteristics of practicums could include:
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- Shadowing one or more assigned employees who will guide the on-site experience
- Observing and associating practices in the field with theories and methods previously studied in class
- Recording data or assisting with tasks as directed by on-site personnel
- •Completing practicum course assignments.
Participation at the practicum site is typically two or three times per week for a few hours per session. No compensation is expected for a practicum (e.g., students cannot receive pay for a practicum), but it does qualify for academic credit.
What’s the difference between a practicum and an internship? A major difference between a practicum and an internship involves the degree of expected involvement in hands-on work.
Let’s take another look at the examples from the education and medical fields.Compared to a practicum student, student teaching interns would not only assist with lesson planning but also collaborate with their supervising teachers to create and instruct whole-group lessons independently. In a similar fashion, nursing interns would go beyond charting of vital signs. They would be expected to understand and independently perform evaluation procedures on multiple patients, then accurately record their results and consult with their nursing supervisor about them.
Source InformationResearch
Students at Wichita State engage in mentored, self-directed research that allows them to make original contributions to their discipline and communicate their findings to others.
Source InformationService-Learning
Service-Learning at Wichita State is an experiential learning method that integrates community service with instruction and reflection to improve student civic-mindedness and build community capacity.
Undergraduate Research
Wichita State supports undergraduate students in conducting inquiry or investigations that contribute intellectually and creatively to their discipline. Entrepreneurship (program, class, project): Wichita State’s entrepreneurship programs instill entrepreneurial skills applicable to various organizational contexts.