Active Student Involvement at the University of Louisville
Student involvement is an integral part of the college experience as it promotes academic and social success. The University of Louisville (UofL) recognizes the importance of student engagement and offers various programs and initiatives to foster a vibrant and active campus life. This article explores the different aspects of student involvement at UofL, including engaged learning, active learning in the classroom, the role of the Office of Student Involvement, and the resources available to students.
Engaged Learning: Applying Knowledge and Deepening Skillsets
Engaged learning is a pedagogical approach that emphasizes the active application of knowledge to expand and deepen students' skillsets. It involves participating in intentional experiences, both within and outside the classroom, that require reflection, perspective-taking, critical thinking, and active exploration. Community organizations and corporations play a crucial role in providing students with engaged learning opportunities through internships, co-ops, volunteer opportunities, and more.
At UofL, the Center for Engaged Learning collaborates with the university career centers, Office of Community Engagement, and Office of Student Involvement to promote community-engaged learning experiences to students. This collaborative effort ensures that students have access to a wide range of opportunities to apply their knowledge and develop valuable skills.
One example of UofL's commitment to engaged learning is the transformation of progress reports. Initially, faculty engagement with progress reports was inconsistent due to uncertainty about how their feedback was used. By integrating midterm grading systems and clarifying the value of their contributions, Louisville turned progress reports from a compliance task into a tool for scalable student impact. Faculty could enter grades in Blackboard, which synced directly with Navigate360, eliminating redundant data entry and simplifying the process. This made faculty engagement sustainable, not just through reminders, but through visible impact and embedded support.
Active Learning: Engaging Students in the Classroom
Active learning is an instructional method that encourages students to become active participants in the classroom through various activities such as in-class written exercises, games, problem sets, audience-response systems, debates, and class discussions. This approach shifts the focus from passive listening to active engagement, promoting deeper understanding and retention of information.
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Despite the evidence supporting the effectiveness of active learning strategies, its adoption in many professional programs has been minimal. A study conducted at the University of Louisville compared the perceptions of active learning between students who were exposed to active learning in the classroom and professional-level physiology faculty members. The study revealed that faculty members reported a heavy reliance on lectures and minimal use of educational games and activities, while students indicated that they learned best via the activities.
The main reported barriers to adopting active learning by faculty members were a lack of necessary class time, a high comfort level with traditional lectures, and insufficient time to develop materials. Students hypothesized similar obstacles for faculty members but also associated many negative qualities with the traditional lecturers. Despite these barriers, a majority of faculty members expressed interest in learning more about the alternative teaching strategy.
The Department of Physiology and Biophysics at the University of Louisville has been actively researching the success of active learning. However, the movement toward educational reform has been slow. While the administration supports alternative teaching strategies, faculty members continue to rely primarily on lectures as an instructional technique. This could be due to various factors, such as an absence of faculty interest in active learning or a perceived lack of educational benefit.
To address this issue, a study was developed to characterize the current faculty use of active learning in the department versus other teaching methods and to compare faculty member versus student perceptions of active learning in the classroom. The study found that faculty members primarily used lectures, while students reported statistically significant lower effectiveness of lectures and group learning compared with faculty use.
Engaging lectures, also referred to as interactive lectures, involve short periods of lecture followed by "breaks" in which active learning is used to help reinforce the material just presented. Recent work by a group analyzed the effectiveness of the engaging lecture format in the Dental Physiology course for first-year Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) students at the University of Louisville. It was found that the use of engaging lectures in the professional-level course improved both short-term student performance on unit exams and long-term retention of information for the final exam.
Read also: Enrichment and Engagement
The Office of Student Involvement: Fostering Connection and Engagement
The Office of Student Involvement plays a vital role in fostering connection and engagement among students at UofL. According to Taylor, who came to UofL earlier this year after working for the Kentucky Governor's Scholars Program and The Ohio State University, the office has been resilient, innovative, and adaptive in finding ways to continue to engage and connect with students throughout the pandemic.
The office curates every experience to increase student academic and social success and help them reach the ultimate goal of graduation. Student involvement is part of the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs. Research indicates that involved students develop necessary skills such as better time management, transferable skills to their career, and a better understanding of their personal values.
The Office of Student Involvement strives to create a sense of belonging for students, making them feel as if they matter to the campus community and that their presence has a significant impact on those they interact with.
Resources and Opportunities for Student Involvement
The University of Louisville offers a wide array of resources and opportunities for student involvement, catering to diverse interests and needs. These include:
- Student Activities Board (SAB): SAB provides social, multicultural, recreational, and educational activities for UofL students.
- Engage Lead Serve Board (ELSB): ELSB enhances the education of students by providing structured experiential and developmental opportunities that encourage community engagement, model good leadership, and allow active service.
- First-Year Leadership Program (FYLP): FYLP is a 20-week program that equips first-year students with the skills, knowledge, and passion to lead and positively impact campus by driving initiatives, advocating for varying populations, and fostering a strong sense of community.
- The Cardinal Conclave: The Cardinal Conclave is a 3-day, 2-night leadership retreat that offers a unique opportunity for University of Louisville students to deepen their leadership skills, enhance self-awareness, and build a supportive community.
- TLI: TLI is geared at University of Louisville Students to help them take their Leadership on Campus to another level whether they want to be a better student org officer, coworker, etc.
- ACC Leadership Symposium: Student leaders from each of the ACC Institutions will have the opportunity to learn through intensive engagement in educational sessions, keynote addresses, topical content exploration, simulations and experiential application.
- Welcome Week: Welcome Week is an exciting event that helps students make some of the best friends and memories of their UofL experience.
- NPHC Step Show: The NPHC Step Show is a vibrant display of talent and tradition.
- Student Government Association (SGA): Students can vote for their representatives in the Student Government Association (SGA).
- MLK Day of Service: The University of Louisville's (UofL) MLK Day of Service event is a community service opportunity that honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
- International Fashion Show: The International Fashion Show is devoted to celebrating our diverse students through fashion.
- Crawfish Boil: The Annual Crawfish Boil is one of the longest-running traditions at UofL.
- The Swain Student Activities Center (SAC): The Swain Student Activities Center, affectionately known as the SAC, is the main hub for student life on the University of Louisville Belknap campus. With a multitude of dining options, amazing event spaces, cozy lounges, and vibrant student activities, there's always something to do at the SAC.Managers on Duty act as the primary point of contact during their shifts, overseeing building operations, assisting guests, responding to emergencies, and ensuring events run smoothly. Audio-Visual (A/V) Technicians provide technical support for events hosted in the SAC, operating sound systems, lighting equipment, and projectors.
- UofL Free Store: Opened by students, the UofL Free Store helps useful stuff make its way to those in need rather than to the landfill.
- UofL's Student Success Center (SSC): The UofL's Student Success Center (SSC) supports every UofL undergraduate student throughout the college experience. They're here with a wide variety of resources and programs to support students by addressing concerns in areas including advising, academics, financial wellbeing, and belonging.
Student employees also develop the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education's (CPE) 10 Essential Skills. Supervisors work closely with the staff to connect these skills to their daily tasks, fostering growth that extends beyond the workplace.
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