Undergraduate Perceptions on Applied Learning
Faculty Mentor
Julia Smith
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
4-14-2026 2:00 PM
End Date
4-14-2026 4:00 PM
Location
PUB NCR
Primary Discipline of Presentation
Anthropology
Abstract
The students in ANTR 401, Anthropology Research Methods students, worked on behalf of the university Applied Learning Workgroup to gather information about undergraduate student perspectives on experiential learning, also known as applied or engaged learning, here at EWU. The intention is to bridge the gap between school administration and students’ subjective experiences through the gathering and analysis of qualitative data, allowing administration to better understand and meet student needs. We conducted about 50 total semi-structured student interviews, ranging from 10-45 minutes each. In these interviews, we asked students about their experiences, barriers they may have faced, pros and cons of experiential learning, how they have found - or would like to find - these opportunities, and more. Interviewees ranged from entrenched seniors with a variety of past experiences to freshmen who had not yet heard of any relevant opportunities. This poster presents our findings on these questions and sets the frame for a survey to a wider set of respondents.
Recommended Citation
Bush, Zephrym; Adams, Holden; and Villa, Jeremy, "Undergraduate Perceptions on Applied Learning" (2026). 2026 Symposium. 10.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2026/ps_2026/p3_2026/10
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Undergraduate Perceptions on Applied Learning
PUB NCR
The students in ANTR 401, Anthropology Research Methods students, worked on behalf of the university Applied Learning Workgroup to gather information about undergraduate student perspectives on experiential learning, also known as applied or engaged learning, here at EWU. The intention is to bridge the gap between school administration and students’ subjective experiences through the gathering and analysis of qualitative data, allowing administration to better understand and meet student needs. We conducted about 50 total semi-structured student interviews, ranging from 10-45 minutes each. In these interviews, we asked students about their experiences, barriers they may have faced, pros and cons of experiential learning, how they have found - or would like to find - these opportunities, and more. Interviewees ranged from entrenched seniors with a variety of past experiences to freshmen who had not yet heard of any relevant opportunities. This poster presents our findings on these questions and sets the frame for a survey to a wider set of respondents.
