PARKERSBURG — West Virginia University at Parkersburg is imparting a brand new experiential studying application for college kids.
The program formally kicks off this summer season with the Communication and Media Studies department and the employment of six interns. Brooke Buchanan, Toni Grogg, Loren Hays, Ryan McCoy, Madison Sayre, and Sarah Weeks are the first marketing interns who can be overseen using Dr. Torie Jackson, dean of public affairs and experiential studying.
The experiential getting to know the school room becomes a closer analyzing laboratory. Communication and Media Studies students participate in the diffusion of profession-associated, mission-based getting-to-know activities. The college started to pilot this software in the spring semester. As an example task, the school tasked college students to keep in mind the counties in the WVU Parkersburg area and to have a look at the target audiences via discovering jobs, industries, earnings, education, faculty system enrollment, populace, values, sentiment, social media utilization and unfastened time utilization in those counties.
“Having this internship with WVU Parkersburg allows me and the alternative interns the opportunity to not simplest research within the classroom, however, to take my knowledge beyond the path and apply it to real international situations,” said Brooke Buchanan, an advertising intern in her junior yr in the Communication and Media Studies program.
To begin the summer experiential learning software, the interns took a county excursion to Calhoun, Jackson, Pleasants, Ritchie, Roane, Tyler, Wirt, and Wood counties.
“I loved being able to journey to the surrounding counties and stroll a mile in their shoes,” said Madison Sayre, a marketing intern in her sophomore 12 months who will use that expertise to market effectively to the counties. “It turned into cool to see matters thru an exclusive lens.”
WVU Parkersburg President Chris Gilmer is devoted to constructing a subculture of experiential mastering at WVU Parkersburg wherein our college students examine academic content material by putting it into practice in real-life settings.
“I have cautioned writing college students for decades no longer just to inform me, but to reveal me with their words. This is because I agree with learning with the aid of doing, now not simply through listening, studying, or committing records to memory. Those matters are critical, but implementation and exercise are greater important,” Dr. Gilmer said.
Gilmer plans to increase experiential studying to greater degree programs on campus.
“In this manner, our students graduate no longer simplest with content know-how, but with utility capabilities and a portfolio of first-rate paintings to expose an ability employer. It is a win for anybody, and I desire the university community will put money into this version,” Dr. Gilmer stated.
Research reveals that employers are seeking such capabilities. Education author Terrell Strayhorn these days visited the WVU Parkersburg campus to talk about the assessment of gaining knowledge. He shared with university faculty that employers want unique proficiencies in college graduates. These abilties align with the dreams of experiential learning software, especially:
* Work nicely on numerous groups
* Plan, arrange, and prioritize work
* Imagine, create, and see connections
* Make choices and clear up issues
* Proficiency with computer systems and technology
* Storytelling and maximizing of stories
* Communicate properly verbally with human beings
* Maintain integrity in work activities
“Experiential gaining knowledge of is a superb opportunity for our college students to take their gaining knowledge to the best stage, beyond software and reading to evaluating and creating,” Jackson stated. “As this software begins to encompass more of the diploma programs at WVU Parkersburg, we can revolutionize the scholar gaining knowledge of the process, and we can have college graduates ready to take on the personnel with skillful capacity.”