Engaged Learning Office 

Engaged Learning Office (ELO)

Since chartering in 1996, the School of Information has greatly emphasized practical engagement, or more recently,  engaged learning. Launched in 2017, the Engaged Learning Office was an initiative to further augment the UMSI curriculum through high-impact educational practices, which include capstone courses, study abroad, civic engagement, and other applied and immersive educational opportunities for students that enhance the classroom experience.  The office’s work is based on Engaged Learning Practices as defined by the U-M Provost's Office:

"The University of Michigan community has developed five engaged learning goals, identified key practices that promote this kind of unscripted education, and invested deeply in developing a culture of engaged learning on campus through the Transforming Learning for a Third Century Initiative."

The Mission of Engaged Learning at UMSI

The Engaged Learning Office facilitates transformational, high-quality, engaged learning experiences for all UMSI students. Through our teaching, research, and professional development, we...

• Prepare students to be change agents  in information professions and culturally and socially conscious alumni and citizens;

• Provide inclusive, equitable, and innovative information solutions to the local and global community throughout diverse sectors; and

• Lead the field of engaged learning, globally and domestically, amongst Information Schools and the University of Michigan.

Goals of Engaged Learning at UMSI

• All students at UMSI participate in multiple engaged learning opportunities that are intentional, reflective, equitable, mutually beneficial, and accessible;

• Faculty have the opportunity to incorporate pedagogically appropriate and ethically engaged learning practices in teaching and research through collaboration with the ELO; and

• The local and global community engages in reciprocal partnerships with UMSI that increase information capacity and create sustainable outcomes.

Specific Engaged Learning Resources and Information

• Client-Based Engaged Learning in Courses

• Engaged Learning Resources for Faculty and Program Managers

• Teaching Internationally

Engaged Learning Programs

The Engaged Learning Office facilitates several engaged learning programs for UMSI students.  These include:

• UMSI Theme Year: New in 2023, the UMSI Theme Year aims to provide additional resources and depth for students’ course projects and self-initiated endeavors, connect students, faculty, and staff on an issue of worldwide importance and concern (measured in part through the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals), and use an information lens to address a large-scale issue. Each theme year features special events, course projects, a theme-specific category at the annual Exposition, and funding for students who seek to pursue theme-related projects. UMSI partners with organizations and subject matter experts to promote shared awareness and action.

• Civic User Testing (CUT) Group: The Civic User Testing (CUT) group program applies user testing to public apps to make them more accessible and valuable to city residents. These include tools for mapping, open data, government forms, issue reporting, and other forms of civic engagement. The CUTgroup model aims to involve citizens in the creation of the tools designed for their use by applying a “build-with” approach. CUTgroup’s motto is, “If it doesn’t work for you, it doesn’t work!”

• Student Organization Engaged Learning Leaders (SO-ELL): The SO-ELL program helps student organization (SO) leaders set up or improve upon a process to manage student-led projects within their organizations and implement this process through client-based projects. SO teams are assigned real-world information projects, giving students the opportunity to ethically engage, practice skills, and suggest or effect positive change. Leaders, including officers and project managers, are supported through a series of informational sessions, catered resources, project management workshops, and regular peer-to-peer and mentorship opportunities that expose them to a wide variety of industry and civic real-world challenges associated with information.

• Study Abroad: UMSI partners with universities worldwide that offer information courses taught in English that are directly applicable to the UMSI curriculum. UMSI offers semester-long and spring-term study abroad programs in various locations.

• Alternative Spring Break: UMSI annually hosts an Alternative Spring Break (ASB) program where students take part in a professional development experience while providing capacity-building services to nonprofit, cultural, governmental, and educational institutions during the week of spring break. 

• Design Jams: A design jam is a short-term learning experience (two to five hours) at which students from the School of Information and U-M respond to real-world, societal, and industry challenges presented by sponsoring organizations. 

• Exposition: Annually, UMSI students share posters, presentations, and videos of course and co-curricular projects, internships, and research. This event provides an opportunity for the external community to learn more about UMSI students' work and the possibilities this might present for external organizations to submit a project proposal to or hire UMSI students.

Contact Information:

• ELO email: umsi.engagement@umich.edu

• Director: Kelly Kowatch (kkowatch@umich.edu)

• ELO staff and lecturer listing