Student Engagement and Experiential Learning
A conference in collaboration with the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education
The conference took place in-person on May 15-17, 2024.
Access the 2024 conference program.
Conference Information:
- Conference-at-a-Glance*
- View hotel and travel information here.
Pre-Conference Keynote Information:
- Keynote: Stephen M. R. Covey – Wednesday, May 15, 2024, 4:00pm, EKU Center for the Arts
Submit proposals online. [The proposal deadline has passed.]
Session Proposals due – February 21st, 2024* [The proposal deadline has passed.]
Acceptance Notifications – March 27th, 2024*
Registration Opens – March 1, 2024*
Registration Deadline – May 1st, 2024*
Dates Above Subject to Change*
Hosted by EKU’s Noel Studio for Academic Creativity, Faculty Center for Teaching & Learning, and the Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE).
The conference theme, “Student Engagement and Experiential Learning” encourages us to consider ways in which classroom environments (in-person, distributed, online, and/or hybrid spaces) can promote highly engaging learning experiences. Presenters are encouraged to share practical approaches to student engagement and experiential learning through practices that are driven and informed by evidence and those that can transfer across higher education institutions.
Experiential learning is an engaged learning process wherein students “learn by doing” and reflect on learning experiences. Student engagement has been defined as “the extent to which students are engaging in activities that higher education research has shown to be linked with high-quality learning outcomes” (Krause & Coates, 2008, p. 493). Recently, however, scholars have observed disengagement (McMurtrie, 2022a/b) and disconnection (Abrams, 2022). Kinzie (2023) argues that, “Students need to be engaged in their learning, dedicating time and effort to educationally purposeful activities, being active collaborative learners who are interacting at substantive levels with their peers and faculty” (p. 3) while proposing recommendations for a student engagement reset. This conference invites presenters to share
- exceptional pedagogical strategies, theories, or practices that might enhance student engagement and experiential learning;
- faculty development approaches or recommendations for student engagement and experiential learning;
- Instructional, course, or course (re)design models for student engagement or experiential learning;
- student engagement practices that incorporate experiential learning; or
- development, implementation, and success (and/or failures) of experiential learning which supports student engagement across the program or curriculum.
Threads might include but are not limited to:
- Methods and approaches to incorporating essential employability skills to facilitate student engagement and experiential learning;
- New or emerging concepts, definitions, and practices that advance understandings of student engagement and experiential learning;
- Strategies that promote student engagement and experiential learning practices amid changing higher education teaching and learning environments (across on-ground, online, hybrid, and distributed educational spaces);
- Use(s) of technology, media, or tools to enhance student engagement and experiential learning practices;
- Creative and innovative instructional techniques that engage students in experiential learning;
- Teaching and learning strategies that promote student engagement and experiential learning practices in the classroom and beyond;
- Faculty development initiatives, programs, and processes that have facilitated successful student engagement and experiential learning practices to enhance teaching and student success;
- Strategies for incorporating diversity, culturally responsive, and/or inclusive excellence into institutional initiatives that promote student engagement and experiential learning practices;
- Student, student-faculty, or student-faculty-staff partnership perspectives focused on developing and sustaining student engagement and experiential learning practices; and
- New approaches for employing Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) methods to enhance student engagement and experiential learning initiatives.
Presenters will also have the opportunity to submit their work for consideration in the annual Proceedings, to be published in early 2025.
References
Abrams, Z. (2022, October 12). Student mental health is in crisis. Campuses are rethinking their approach. Monitor on Psychology, 53(7). https://www.apa.org/ monitor/2022/10/mental-health-campus-care
Kinzie, J. (2023). Tracking student (dis)engagement through the pandemic: What colleges & universities can do to foster an engagement reset. Journal of Postsecondary Student Success, 2(2), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.33009/fsop_jpss132559
Krause, K.L., & Coates, H. (2008). Students’ engagement in first-year university. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 33, 493-505. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602930701698892
McMurtrie, B. (2022a, April 11). “It feels like I’m pouring energy into a void”: Faculty members share their thoughts on trying to reach disconnected students. The Chronicle of Higher Education. https://www.chronicle.com/article/it-feels-like-im-pouring-energy-into-a-void
McMurtrie, B. (2022b, April 5). A “stunning” level of student disengagement. The Chronicle of Higher Education. https://www.chronicle.com/article/a-stunning-level-of-student-disconnection?utm_source =Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=campaign_4019968_nl_Afternoon-Updat e_date_20220405&cid=pm&source=ams&sourceid=&cid2=gen_login_refresh