Applied Purpose Science Research Internship

APPLIED PURPOSE SCIENCE RESEARCH LAB INTERNSHIP Qualitative Study of How Students Use AI Academic Credit Eligible The Qualitative Research Internship offers undergraduate and graduate students a unique opportunity to explore how students are currently using artificial intelligence (AI) in their daily lives, learning, creativity, and decision-making through the lens of purpose, identity, and human development. Building on the Lab’s mission to study how people connect to purpose across life stages and contexts, this internship centers on a foundational research question: How are students actually using AI today and how does that use shape their sense of voice, agency, learning, and purpose? Rather than focusing on technical development or coding, this internship emphasizes human-centered qualitative research, reflective inquiry, and ethical understanding. Students examine AI use as a lived experience, grounded in real stories, behaviors, and meaning-making processes. Learning Goals By the end of the internship, students will understand AI not as a technical system, but as a social and psychological tool shaping how students think, learn, reflect, and express themselves. Participants will: Develop foundational skills in qualitative research methods, including interviews, focus groups, reflective journaling, and thematic analysis Examine how students use AI for learning, organization, creativity, emotional support, and reflection Analyze how AI use intersects with purpose, identity, voice, and well-being Practice ethical inquiry, cultural humility, and responsible research with human participants Articulate their emerging identity as a purpose-driven researcher Students will connect their own lived experiences with AI to broader social patterns, learning how personal narratives inform rigorous research questions. Internship Structure (8 12 Weeks) Phase 1: Purpose, Identity, and AI in Everyday Life Students begin by reflecting on their own experiences with AI and reviewing existing research on student AI use. Emphasis is placed on positionality, ethics, and the role of purpose in inquiry. Phase 2: Qualitative Data Collection Students design and conduct qualitative research activities such as: Semi-structured interviews with students Focus groups or listening sessions Reflective prompts and narrative data collection They learn how to listen for meaning, not just usage patterns. Phase 3: Analysis and Meaning-Making Students engage in coding and thematic analysis, identifying patterns related to: Agency and autonomy Learning and motivation Creativity and expression Stress, overwhelm, and clarity Purpose and future orientation Phase 4: Purpose-Based Research Artifact Each student produces a Qualitative Purpose Research Brief, which may include: A thematic report A narrative synthesis A student-centered insight guide A contribution to the Applied Purpose Science Research Library The internship culminates in a Purpose Research Reflection, articulating how the student’s understanding of AI, research, and purpose has evolved. Participation & Alignment Students may participate for academic credit, volunteer service, or through Voice Up University, with all pathways receiving the same level of mentorship and access, consistent with the internship structure described in the provided template . This internship aligns with: Qualitative research competencies across social sciences Ethical research standards involving human subjects Emerging national conversations on AI, youth, and education Purpose development and identity formation literature It supports early pipeline development for future researchers, educators, policy analysts, designers, psychologists, sociologists, and human-centered technologists.