What is ETEAL and why is it so important for students? First, ETEAL stands for Experiencing Transformative Education through Applied Learning. This isn’t a club to join but rather an engaging learning experience for students to be hands-on with their passion. ETEAL allows students to take what they’re learning and apply it in a more interactive and experiential way, with a variety of different options to choose from.
So how did ETEAL make its presence here at UNCW? A quick history of ETEAL and its origins: it started when UNCW needed to implement a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) to improve, enrich, and enhance the student learning experience. A QEP task force was sent out to gather information from students and faculty what they thought the best way was to apply this plan. The concept of ETEAL was formed.
ETEAL’S Goals:
• To improve student learning in applied learning experience through enriching the environment supporting student learning.
• To provide faculty and staff with information and resources about high-impact practices in applied learning pedagogy as appropriate to their discipline and responsibilities.
• To promote the incorporation and implementation of high-impact practices of applied learning throughout UNCW.
ETEAL can be experienced in numerous ways across campus and beyond. A student can study abroad and gain a unique international perspective in their particular subject. An internship is an excellent opportunity for students to gain more insight in their desired field. Other applied learning approaches include course-embedded projects, honors projects, and community-based projects. All of these experiences can be very impactful for students while benefiting them after graduation. ETEAL’s goal in the end is that all students that take advantage of these valuable opportunities.
If you’re interested in learning about ETEAL and how you can get involved please visit their website. You can also follow ETEAL on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to keep you up to date. ETEAL is currently sponsoring a contest on Instagram for students to post and share their ETEAL experiences and have the chance to win awesome prizes! The contest ends April 30 so take a photo of your applied learning experience and follow the directions below to enter!
-Melissa Shampoe
IMC Hawks Blog 
I’m really glad that this post was written because I think very few members of the UNCW student community really understand what ETEAL is, including myself. This article opened my eyes to all the purposes ETEAL has and how it is designed to help all of us out. Originally, I had thought ETEAL was some type of interactive aspect of the UNCW website. Now, it is clear to me that it is the whole idea and strategy to promote enriched learning throughout the University. I also think the Instagram contest is a really great idea to spread the word about ETEAL and get UNCW students aware of what it is all about.
As a student at UNCW, I am very proud to be part of a university that encourages Applied Learning. I have benefited from ETEAL and the opportunities it brings. I am really glad that you have written about ETEAL because I do not believe many people understand what it is. I did not understand what ETEAL meant until just recently, even though I have benefited from its opportunities. I have taken advantage of ETEAL in numerous ways so far, and I will continue to until I graduate. So far, I have been apart of a mentor-protégé program, interviews, research reports, and more. I will also be taking advantage of Applied Learning through internship opportunities and study abroad. These Applied Learning opportunities have been my favorite learning experiences and have been very enriching to my education. I am really impressed with ETEAL’s social media presence; I did not know that it was on so many platforms, which is great! I also think that ETEAL’s contest is a great idea to promote Applied Learning and generate excitement for the initiative. I am excited to see what ETEAL brings to UNCW in the next few years.
ETEAL is a great program that was started by UNCW. Having ETEAL on campus shows how involved students are outside of the classroom. I have heard about ETEAL a couple of times from other Communication major students, but I do not think it is known throughout the campus. Having a contest will provide more publicity towards ETEAL, and hopefully get more students aware. I think it is great that ETEAL has started, and I hope that more students will take the time to learn about this. ETEAL needs to be taken advantage of by many students because this can and will benefit students.
I agree that not many students know what ETEAL is. I was unaware of all the aspects of it and what exactly it was. This entry provided good insight to why it was created and the goals it aims to achieve. I am glad I learned more about ETEAL and realized the benefits of it. It is good to know that this campus values this type of applied and hands on learning. The contest is a good way to get the word out and make more students aware of ETEAL. Using popular outlets (such as Instagram) is a great strategy to reach the desired audience and appeal to what they are interested in.
I would say a majority of students are unaware of what ETEAL is. I, myself, did not know all of the details about ETEAL beside it being general applied learning. I think it was a great opportunity for students to understand ETEAL through the social media scavenger hunt that was created by the Communication Studies Department for Com Studies Week. It is important for students in every major to get involved in some form of applied learning before they graduate, just to reinforce everything that they were taught in their concentration classes and prepare for their desired profession.