Applied Learning Resources: Applied Learning Project Content

Please think about how the particular course or club activity is situated within the larger institutional curriculum.  What is this course or club? How does it fit within the curriculum (e.g., General Education, stand-alone, sequenced within a major, one of many sections, gateway)? Please briefly describe how this experience connects to curriculum or the mission of the college.
For a project embedded in a course or program, list the specific Student Learning Outcomes (SLO’s) that you expect to address with this applied learning experience. (Please refer to the official course outline to identify the learning outcome that will be addressed). You may choose more than one SLO, if applicable.
For a project being done by a club, student organization, or independently, list the specific Student Learning Outcomes (SLO’s) that you expect to address with this applied learning experience. For club activities, the learning outcomes can be related to the mission of the club, professional development, leadership skills, or other important goals for the students. You may choose more than one SLO, if applicable.

The applied learning activity needs to be a structured experience with a formal process. It should be described in the learning contract between parties (students, faculty, and other supervisors as appropriate). See the attached document for a sample contract. The applied learning activity should have hands-on and/or real world context and should be designed in concert with students and anyone else who will be affected by or use it. If you are partnering with outside agencies, their commitment to the project also needs to be provided as part of the contract.
If this project is embedded in a course or program, please provide a copy of the syllabus and your learning contract for the student.
If this project will be conducted through a club, student organization, or independently, please provide a copy of your learning contract for the student(s).

Describe the applied learning experience that you propose to complete. If students will be connecting with agencies outside of NCC, identify the Agency (agencies) where you will complete the project on the applied learning contract. Try to be concise and describe your project in less than 250 words.

Describe the kinds of reflection that you would like your students to do. Include your thoughts about how often, how formal, whether reflections will be graded or a simple "U/S."

The American Association of College and Universities organizes working groups of faculty members and area experts to develop VALUE rubrics for a wide variety of common learning outcomes. These rubrics undergo extensive research prior to their release and are continually researched for evidence of validity and reliability. You may find elements of this "Integrative Learning" rubric useful as you assess your students during their applied learning experiences.

Consider that applied learning projects might be evaluated on any number of levels. Are you grading the project? Is the project broken up into sections that are evaluated separately? Is evaluation formative or summative? Likewise, the project might be assessed in terms of how well it achieves the learning outcomes of a course or program.

Applied learning activities are dynamic. How will students be monitored regularly to ensure that the experience, as it is in process, continues to provide a rich learning environment and is meeting learning outcomes? Create a defined and flexible method for students and other partners to provide feedback to you related to learning outcomes and quality performance. For instance, tell the students and community partners how to reach you if they have questions and provide a “Feedback Form” and a brief feedback survey for students and community partners to complete when the project is done.

Please provide a summary of approximately 250 words in which you describe the outcome of your applied learning project. Please reflect on how engaged students were, the evidence of learning that they produced, and whether you think this project improved student learning or student engagement in any way.

Now that you have run your applied learning project at least once, what are your thoughts about continuing this work with your students? What are some of the benefits you see in using applied learning? What are some of the barriers you foresee as you consider doing this again in the future?

If you have suggestions for how the Applied Learning committee could continue to support your work and encourage applied learning practices, please share them with us here.

Congratulations and welcome to the Applied Learning Community of Practice at NCC!