The Whys and Hows of an Online Applied Anthropology Program: The University of North Texas Case

Abstract

The Department of Anthropology at the University of North Texas created the first master's program in applied anthropology offered in Texas, starting in 2000. At that time, the department had 6 full-time faculty members. The Department of Anthropology is part of the College of Public Affairs and Community Service, and shares the vision of interweaving academia and research to serve the community. In fact, given our experience with the undergraduate student body, the major instigating factor that sparked the design of the applied program was to better prepare the students to 1) understand the socio-cultural community in which they live, 2) provide them with the conceptual and methodological background to do so, and 3) equip them for the current professional labor market by enabling them to serve the community in whatever specialty area they choose.

The Pandemic Pivot: Change and Adaptability during Quarantines, Social Distancing, and Anthropology in the Virtual Classroom

“…We experienced what we call accidental success in the face of unprecedented challenges and limited resources as we adjusted class delivery and assignments in our attempts to best use available technology and while considering our students' specific needs. Although this experience was one of forced remote learning rather than planned online classes based on decades of student-based learning pedagogy, we tried to build community and comradery among students and faculty through video conferencing, synchronous and asynchronous discussions, and videos while encouraging intellectual curiosity, active learning, and student ownership of learning (Cruz, Wasson, and Gibbs 2007;Davenport and Henry 2007;Nuñes-Janes and Cruz 2007;Wright 2011). Our students were able to engage in discussions and assignments that allowed them to include their own experiences and interpretations though multi-media and mixed methods.…”

“…Of the few publications on online teaching and learning within anthropology, most were published in the 2000s and show their age, particularly in terms of technology. Wasson (2007), Cruz, Wasson, and Gibbs (2007), Davenport and Henry (2007), and Nuñes-Janes and recount the development of the first fully online applied anthropology graduate program at the University of North Texas. The authors recount their efforts to replicate the quality of their in-person applied anthropology program, including simulating the intellectual curiosity of the anthropology graduate seminar, creating appropriate online pedagogies, building community among faculty and students, and creating professional networks for students.…”