ALE Framework

Applied learning has taken place at K-State since its charter. These experiences have generated an educated citizenry, equipped with skills necessary to tackle our state, nation, and world’s grand challenges. As K-State strives toward our goal of becoming a next generation land grant, ensuring that all learners have access to sustained, purposeful, and reflective experiences in a consistent and accessible manner is imperative.

This framework will act as a tool for learners and instructors to understand what they can expect to commit to and gain from an Applied Learning Experience. The framework is organized in three requirements which must be met, with objectives describing each requirement's purpose.

Download a copy of the framework, or learn more below.

Download the Framework (PDF)

	Requirement	Objective
1	Experiences involve learner engagement at least equivalent to the intensity, depth and/or time commitment of a 1-credit-hour course, approximately equal to 45 hours engagement in total. The experience is not required to be credit-bearing.	Engagement: The learner's involvement in the experience is sustained and/or intensive. There is a substantial investment of time and attention to foster deeper learning.
2	Experiences are intentionally designed to develop professional, technical, and interpersonal skills. These learning outcomes and competencies are supported and assessed.	Guidance: After purposeful development of the experience, learners receive guidance from mentors, instructors, advisors, site partners, and collaborators who respond regularly to learner engagement, support self-reflection and integration of learning through the experience and promote goal setting for future learning.
3	Experiences incorporate purposeful experience, active engagement, and critical reflection. The learner is responsible for the sharing and communication of new understandings and the application to new situations.	Purposeful Experience: The learner engages in intellectually adventurous experiences that are connected to a community. The authenticity of the experience provides both relevance and application beyond the current experience. Active Engagement: The learner exercises independent judgment in defining and/or executing the experience. The learner takes ownership of the process and outcomes, including developing a sense of being and collective understanding. Critical Reflection: Learners are supported through meaningful and ongoing self-reflection, helping them make connections between their knowledge and practice, including ethical implications. When appropriate, group reflection is used to support community understanding.