Undergraduates' Perceived Interest and Factors Affecting Participation in Selected High-Impact Experiences

Students can increase their likelihood of academic success if they participate in at least two high-impact experiences during their undergraduate program. High-impact experiences have multiple forms, but whether students choose to participate may depend on perceptions of the high-impact experience structure, intensity, and additive nature to their education. The authors examined students' levels of interest and factors affecting their participation in selected high impact experiences. The authors found significant differences in levels of interest for internships and service learning courses when analyzed by gender. Females had significantly higher levels of interest for those high-impact experiences than did males. National levels for participating in service learning high-impact experiences are high, but the authors found low interest levels in service learning high-impact experiences. Low awareness levels of high-impact experiences and/or their benefits indicates that Texas A&M University needs special efforts to increase high impact experience awareness. The authors propose gender-specific initiatives, especially attuned to males' needs, to increase participation rates across all types of high-impact experiences.

Undergraduates' Perceived Interest and Factors Affecting Participation in Selected High-Impact Experiences Academic Article