Applied Learning Experiences at K-State

At K-State, univerisity-level teams comprised of students, faculty, and staff have defined six Applied Learning Experiences which are readily available to learners across disciplines. As we near our 2030 goal of ensuring that all learners have these experiences, resources and supports will go into scaling these.

While any educationally relevant experience which meets the framework could count as Applied Learning, these six experiences are a great way to think about how to participate:

Definition

 An educational approach that involves an ongoing cycle of purposeful experience, intentional observation, and critical reflection. Students apply knowledge and skills gained from academic learning to practical settings, projects, research experiences, and creative activities. The learner develops new understanding and then applies it to new situations.

Background

Land-grant universities have a unique mission to advance the public good through their teaching, research and service. Knowledge is applied to impact individual lives, families, communities and the world. It makes sense then for a land-grant university like Kansas State University to ensure that all students have a chance to apply their knowledge deeply, frequently and meaningfully as they progress throughout their educational degree programs. While rooted in the traditions of engaged, situated, work-integrated, project-based and experiential learning, the term “applied learning” will be utilized at K-State. Similar to initiatives that are system-wide like The State University of New York (SUNY) and well-established at aspirational peer institutions such as University of Nebraska-Lincoln and University of Georgia, applied learning activity can occur outside of the traditional classroom experience and/or be embedded as part of a course.