Learning beyond the classroom

"Engaged student learning is about skills and temperament and empowerment as much as it is about content, engagement means students are playing an active role," said Dr. Andrew Harris, executive assistant to the president. Some will say, "do a research project" while others will say obtain an internship, but one fact remains: the students need to be actively involved in learning something new, and take responsibility for their own individual goals. Bridgewater wants to help students become "engaged" in the learning process, and help shape future curriculum.

Dr. Nancy Van Leuven of the communication department feels that service learning and being an "engaged" student is one and the same. "It's real life versus textbook knowledge," she said.

Recently Bridgewater State College got involved in the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) to help define what "engaged student learning" means.

A task force has been convened under the supervision of Dr. Andrew Harris to understand the connections between things offered on campus like internships, undergraduate research, studying abroad, or any type of student learning experience, and be able to shape BSC for future students.

A survey was sent out to first-year and senior students to see which parts of their education were most important to them. "The whole idea of student engagement is that you are looking at another level, another layer of the student experience and how faculty and staff value and deliver a message to students, and that's why student participation in surveys is so important," said Dr. Harris.

Being an "engaged" student can mean many things: applying for an Adrian Tinsley Program (ATP) grant, working at an internship, having a customized directed study with a faculty mentor, or training and working as a peer tutor.

Dr. Bjorn Ingvoldstad, assistant professor of media studies and communication technology, was hired for a combination of production and critical studies. He thinks the engaged student "needs to use theory and practice and bridge them together through a range of discipline and productivity."

Amanda Fountain, class of 2008, defined engaged student learning as "using resources outside the classroom and not just to pass a test but to understand the material as a whole." Fountain has received an ATP summer research grant and is the president of two clubs on campus, the National Communication Association and the Public Relations Student Society of America.

Fountain continues to explain that "the research and work of an ATP grant is complex but rewarding, it helped me to work more independently, and was my primary reason for going to graduate school." She will be attending Eastern Illinois University in the fall.

NSSE's findings support Amanda's comment, in order for the "engaged" student to be successful they need to be responsible for their learning. Students need to be motivated and be able to define their own goals. These students know how to learn independently and are able to transfer knowledge to solve problems creatively, and take their knowledge from class and apply it somewhere else.

Another type of engaged learning is internships. Students will get hands-on training with professionals in their field of interest; this way a student can figure out what they want to do, or if it is not a good career path for them.

Kathryn Messner, class of 2010, has been accepted to Washington Center for Internships and Seminars for next fall. She does not know her placement yet, however she had this to say, "Internships are an invaluable part of any students learning process, experience is the key to it all."

All of the options available will most importantly challenge students, but it is also beneficial as a great resume builder to gain experience in the field of your choice. As students go through their career at BSC, they are offered many options to be an "engaged" student.